Break The Ice
by MontyMarten
Summary: A Pureblood Slytherin and a Muggle-Born Ravenclaw. They were quite the odd pair, and quite the hazardous pair as well. Two opposing forces, walking the tightrope that was their friendship. A tightrope that would inevitably snap. Draco/OC story. [DISCONTINUED. REWRITE IN PROGRESS]
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer**_

I don't own Harry Potter, films or books. I am making no profit from this story, and it's all for fun.

 _ **Author's Note**_

Based mostly off of the movies.

Draco/OC.

May contain slight bashing of the trio. Rating for language, violence, etc.

I'm going to try focusing mainly on the relationship/friendship between my OC and Draco rather than the original main story itself. After all, the trio isn't that important in _this_ story, as it isn't theirs.

Reviews welcome.

* * *

 _Chapter One: Welcome to Ravenclaw_

No. No, no, no, no, she definitely didn't want to go anymore. Maya Kensington froze as soon as her mother tried to guide her through the crowded train station. Maya's mother looked exasperated and concerned all at once, if that was possible. It had been like this ever since she'd received her letter from Hogwarts. The awkward and quiet child had not been aware of her parents' heritage. Both her parents had apparently attended Hogwarts, and Maya's grandfather on her dad's side was a wizard and grandmother on her mom's side was a witch. She wasn't sure what that was called, though her mother had once used the word 'half-blood'. Maya's mom snapped her from her trance, "Something wrong, Maya?"

"I-I-just..." she stuttered, taking a step back as her mother reached for her arm, "I...don't want to go..." Maya murmured at last. Her mom narrowed her brown eyes and seemed to be thinking for the right words to say. _I don't want to go to this stupid magic school, I don't want these 'powers'!_ Maya's mind screamed, but she kept quiet as her mother knelt down.

"Look, Maya," Mom sighed, "This will be a good experience for you. I went to Hogwarts when I was your age when I didn't want to go, and I made a lot of friends, I even met your father. If my mom had given in and let me stay like I wanted to, you wouldn't even be here making this difficult for me," she joked, then smirked, "But, knowing you, you'd probably have found a way to bother me anyways." Maya didn't find that funny, and apparently her mom could tell this as she added, "Just give it a chance, okay sweetie?"

Maya bit her lip and slumped her shoulders in defeat, "Yes, ma'am..."

"That's my girl," a smile formed on her mother's lips, "Have you got your bags, and your ticket?"

Maya nodded, "How do I get to..." she pulled her ticket from her pocket and looked at it for a moment, "Platform...nine and three-quarters?" her mother didn't respond, but instead guided her between the platforms nine and ten and pointed at the brick pillar, "Am...I supposed to see something?"

"No, you're supposed to run at it."

"What?!" Maya squeaked, which was the loudest noise she'd made since her cousin threw his pet tarantula at her when she was four.

"You simply have to run at it. Unless you want to take it slow, but I always ran at it." her mother shrugged. Maya gulped and hesitated, but her mother gave her a gentle nudge towards it, "Go on, sweetie. I'll write to you as soon as I can."

Maya looked at her mother and then at the brick pillar. Sucking in a deep breath, she wrapped her hands around the cart and walked at a brisk pace, almost a jog, and closed her eyes. When she opened them again and looked back, her mother was gone and there was only brick behind her. Sadly, she turned her head to examine where she was.

It was unnerving to see that she'd ended up on a different platform that wasn't anywhere near where she started out. Her mother was gone, and instead she saw several kids, some her own age, passing by or boarding the massive, well polished train that waited on the tracks. Maya's jaw dropped as she saw the train. On the front it read, **_Hogwarts Express_**.

"Is this where I'm supposed to go?" she muttered to herself and cautiously took a step forward. People rushed past her, one or two occasionally bumping into her shoulder. So far, Maya was not enjoying this. Once she got on the train, she carried her baggage to the nearest empty compartment she could find, which wasn't easy. Taking a seat by the window, she carefully put her suitcase up and put one of the bags, a cat carrier, into her lap.

The train eventually began to chug forward. For a while it was perfectly quiet and Maya was quite pleased by that. She didn't mind being alone, and in fact, preferred it. However, the silence didn't last long.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blond haired boy, at least a couple of months older than her, open the compartment and gesture to the two companions that followed him. "Crabbe, you sit there, Goyle, sit there," he ordered. The two boys obeyed without a question and put their luggage up before taking their seats. The blond boy sat down in the seat across from Maya, seeming to not notice her for a while, which was fine with her. Maya shrunk down, trying to seem invisible, but the boy's blueish-grey eyes flicked over to her and narrowed, "Are you okay?" he sounded rude, definitely not concerned. His nose was wrinkled and he stared at her with what appeared to be disgust.

"Uh...yes..." Maya looked down, trying to avoid eye contact with the boy.

He looked her up and down briefly and changed his expression to one of slight curiosity, "My name's Draco Malfoy, and that's Crabbe and Goyle," he nodded briefly to the two chubby boys and then looked back at her, "What about you? What's your name?"

"M-Maya Kensington..." Maya felt a bit hopeful and looked up, trying to seem friendly, "Nice to meet you..."

Draco's eyes flashed briefly with contempt, but it vanished quickly, "Likewise," was all he said before turning to look out the window. Without looking at her he asked, "So...where are you from?"

"Er...Scotland..." Maya said quietly, clenching and unclenching her fist and biting her lip nervously.

He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head towards her, "You don't sound Scottish."

"My mother was half-british, so that might be why...but I was born and raised in Scotland, I assure you. The accent is thicker at certain times..." Maya explained.

Draco looked thoughtful for a moment, "Looking forward to your time at Hogwarts?"

Maya swallowed, "No, n-not really. I've never even heard of Hogwarts until recently..."

"Never heard of Hogwarts? What are you, a muggle or something?" one of Draco's friends, the largest one that sat next to her, questioned, scooting away from her slightly. Draco shot him a glare, but turned his sneer on Maya as if asking for confirmation from the question.

"N-no!" Maya frowned. She wasn't quite sure what a muggle was, but remembered what her mother had called her and the rest of her family. "My mother told me that we're...half-blood, or something like that..."

"Interesting," Draco turned back to the window. Bitterly, he scoffed, "Don't know why they allow mudbloods and half-bloods such as yourself into Hogwarts. It pollutes it for those of us with sophistication." the words were spat out. He was a bitter boy, and Maya had to keep herself from looking hurt. Had he said that on purpose? Draco's eyes scanned her for a reaction. Yes, yes he had said that on purpose. Crabbe and Goyle snickered.

"That was a rude thing to say, you know?" Maya growled.

Another scoff. Did he ever do anything but scowl, or scoff, or spit? Apparently not. "I was joking, _you know_?"

"No, you're mocking me," Maya pointed out, "And I don't like it, so please stop." Draco was silent. So were Crabbe and Goyle. Had that actually worked? They looked offended, maybe she had been too harsh? Quickly she added, "Sorry! I didn't mean to sound rude..." a voice in the back of her head screamed out that they were the ones being rude, but she suppressed the urge to scream at them.

Draco actually looked...impressed? He rolled his eyes at her to cover this up, "Silly little thing, aren't you?"

Maya froze and blinked as three pairs of eyes stared at her. The comment wasn't supposed to be rude, mostly a bit of friendly teasing. _Are we considered friends now?_ she thought. "I...um...I am? Sorry, I hadn't realized..."

"You aren't supposed to apologize!" Draco chuckled, clearly amused by something she had done. His two friends, however, shot daggers at her, making her shrink back and clear her throat. "I think," Draco said with a smile, "You and I are going to be great friends." Maya looked up in surprise and gave a shy little smile. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.

It was dark by the time the train slowed to a halt and everyone stood up to get off.

As they stood up, Maya became self-consciously aware of how scrawny and short she was compared to Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. Normally she was used to this, and in fact she had expected to be short compared to them, but Draco was at least 5 inches taller than her, making her feel a bit intimidated. Crabbe and Goyle were at least 6 or 8 inches taller than her, which made their disapproval of her all the more frightening than it already was. It became evident that they realized this as they exchanged glances and smirked victoriously at her.

Draco was the first to step off the train, Crabbe followed him, and then Goyle. Maya was the last, and she made sure to avoid bumping into anybody around her as she cautiously followed after them. Draco looked back at her and beckoned for her to stand beside him, much to Goyle and Crabbe's annoyance. Draco also seemed to sense her hesitation at being in a large crowd as he extended his hand for her to hold and also to politely help her off the train. It was a friendly gesture, though it only added to her anxiety and hesitation, she accepted regardless, but eyed him suspiciously.

Only then did she notice the man that stood in front of the crowd holding a lantern. He was a tall and round man with long curly dark hair and a beard as well. His voice boomed as he called out, "Right then, this way to the boats, come on now! Follow me!" he turned and walked away and the crowd began to move.

Maya tried not to look nervous as they followed the stranger, and once they were about halfway there she let go of Draco's hand, which she had realized she'd been squeezing out of nervousness and clenched her fists instead. Draco looked at her briefly and frowned, but he said nothing.

Soon enough, they arrived at the edge of a large lake and the large man helped the children into small boats. Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Maya ended up in the same boat, following the giant-man's boat and several others as they made their way towards a massive structure that resembled a well-lit castle. In fact, Maya was pretty sure that's what it was.

Draco leaned over the edge of the boat to examine the water, while Maya held a torch up for light. Looking at him, she reached out and nudged him, "I don't think that's a good idea, Draco." while he didn't respond to her, he sat himself in the boat properly, smirking at her. Gosh, he was annoying.

Once they were inside Hogwarts, they all made their way up several flights of stairs and were greeted by an elderly woman in a long, silk, cloak-like dress and a long pointed hat. Draco and his two friends pressed themselves against the edge of the railing and listened as she spoke, "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, clapping her hands together to silence the murmuring from the group of kids, "Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors, and join your classmates, but before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses," she looked the children over as she went on, "They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw," her eyes flicked towards Draco, "And Slytherin" Maya saw Draco smirk again and nod at her and Crabbe and Goyle. The lady went on, "Now while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking," she paused very briefly, "And you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup-"

Maya could faintly hear a toad or frog croaking nearby, and a young boy cut the woman off as he jumped forward towards the source of the noise, which was now clearly a toad. "Trevor!" the boy shouted, reaching forward and grabbing the toad, quickly, but gently. The lady, surprised, looked down at him with disapproval in her gaze as several children chuckled. The boy stood up and backed away, "...Sorry..." he told the woman.

She addressed the children once again, "The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." and with that she turned and walked away.

"It's true then," Draco said suddenly to a dark-haired boy at the front of the crowd, "What they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."

Everyone gasped and murmured with shock, though Maya had no idea what that meant. They must have heard it before they joined her, either that, or she wasn't as intent a listener as she believed herself to be, though she guessed that she just didn't pass anyone gossiping about this Harry Potter fellow.

Draco continued, "This is Crabbe and Goyle," he jerked his head towards his followers, though he neglected to mention Maya. Unsurprising, considering they just met. "And I'm Malfoy," he walked swiftly over to stand in front of Harry, smiling ever so slightly, " _Draco_ Malfoy." Maya saw a young, red-haired boy stifle a laugh, but it came out as an awkward snort. Draco's smile faded and he snapped his head towards the red-haired boy, "Think my name is funny, do you?" he demanded bitterly, "No need to ask _yours_. Red hair," he looked the boy up and down, "And a hand-me-down robe. You must be a Weasley!"

Maya examined the boy. He didn't look that different from any normal boy. He could have been of Irish decent, though, clear from his naturally red hair.

"You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter," Draco spoke again, this time to Potter as he turned his head back towards the Weasley boy, "You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sorts," back to Potter again, " _I_ can help you there." Draco held his hand up for Potter to shake. The entire building went silent and seemed to hold it's breath as everyone awaited Potter's response. Even Maya was eager for his response, hoping to earn herself a new friend. But then, Potter replied.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks."

There was no denying that Draco looked genuinely angered by the rejection, but the woman that had been there before had returned and tapped Draco on the shoulder. He looked at her, then at Potter, and then returned to where Crabbe, Maya, and Goyle were standing.

"We're ready for you now, follow me." the lady told them and started towards the large doors.

"Who was that?" Maya asked Draco curiously as they began to walk forward again, "And...why did he seem a bit...unfriendly?"

Draco scoffed, "You're so naive, Kensington! That was Harry Potter, the 'Boy Who Lived'. The only one to survive an attack from You-Know-Who." he told her. Actually, she didn't know who, but she was taken aback by his comment on her being 'naive'. "What I said to him, goes for you as well," Draco sounded a bit threatening as he turned his sharp, steely gaze on her, obviously still furious about what Potter had done, "You better choose your friends wisely." he spat. Maya flinched away and looked at the ground. Was Potter right in not choosing to befriend Draco? Had she made a mistake? And was it too late to go back now?

As the doors open, Maya was quick to take in her surroundings, now completely distracted from what Draco had said. There were candles floating in the air above four large and long tables. The ceiling seemed to reflect the night sky outside, which looked quite enchanting. At the very front of the room, by a large window there was a long table with several people whom Maya assumed were the teachers.

They all passed between two of the four tables to the other end of the room where the woman, Professor McGonnagal, stepped up a few short stairs to where a chair and a hat were and picked up a long list and turned to face the children again. "Now, when I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat," she picked up a dusty, worn out and old looking hat, "And you will be sorted into your houses."

The professor looked at the list for a moment and then called out, "Hermione Granger!"

A brief moment of silence and then a young girl with bushy brown hair slowly stepped forward and sat down, whispering to herself under her breath as the hat was placed on her head.

Maya's eyes widened as the hat began speaking, "Ah, right then...hmm...right, okay...Gryffindor!"

The room exploded into cheers and clapping as the girl, Hermione, bounced over to the Gryffindor table.

"Draco Malfoy!"

Draco stepped forward confidently, taking a seat. The hat seemed to look at him, but barely even was placed on his head before it shouted, "Slytherin!"

More cheering, less enthusiastically than the first as Draco smirked and headed to the Slytherin table.

Maya glanced around and saw Potter and Weasley talking, overhearing what Weasley said, "There's not a witch or wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin!" Potter nodded and caught Maya staring at him. _What did they mean by that?_ she thought, but looked at the floor once again.

Again, a name was called, "Susan Bones!"

The girl was sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Ronald Weasley!"

Gryffindor.

"Harry Potter!"

Maya looked up curiously as Potter sat down. It took the hat a while to sort him, and Maya felt annoyed and helpless from the fact that she wasn't able to hear what was being said. Finally the hat bellowed out, "Gryffindor!"

Clapping and cheering ensued once again and two identical twins got up and chanted, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

After the noise died down, the professor lady called out the next name, "Maya Kensington!"

Maya froze and gulped. She slowly inched forward and as soon as she did she felt dozens of eyes staring right at her. _No...make it stop, please..._ she hated this attention. Maya sat down and tried to look confident instead of terrified, though she knew it wasn't working. The hat was placed on her head and Maya tensed as it started talking to her. Or itself. She wasn't quite sure.

"You have an intriguing mind indeed, don't you, little one," it said, almost sounding amused, "I see kindness, ambition...Hufflepuff or Slytherin, maybe? No...there's more to you than that, child...I see intelligence, imagination...you're a dreamer...I think I know..." then it bellowed out, "RAVENCLAW!"

Maya blushed as the table that the Ravenclaw students were at cheered and clapped. She sheepishly walked over to them, taking a seat and smiling the tiniest bit. She sat down between a boy and a girl who were at least a year older than her. They greeted her with friendly smiles as the sorting continued.

"I'm Allison Davenport and this is my brother, Kirk," the girl introduced herself, "What's your name?"

"Maya Kensington."

"Pleasure to meet you, Maya, welcome to Ravenclaw!" Kirk smiled.

Maya returned the smile, her confidence growing the tiniest bit. Glancing across the tables, she saw Draco give her a look that she couldn't read from across the room and the self-conscious feeling returned. This would be an interesting friendship, indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Notes:**_

I have started reading the books, and I must point out how much more detailed the books are than the movies (though I will always love the movies)

From here on out, some things will be based off of the movie and some things off of the book, that way there are more things I am able to add. Mostly based off of the movies, but following some of the details given in the books.

In this chapter I have added a very small twist to Maya's blood-status that we shall learn more about later on.

I did my best to find a schedule and managed to find a timetable, although it was (unfortunately) for a first year _Gryffindor_. Honestly, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff need more love! I won't go into too many details on some of the classes, but they will be mentioned. Apologies if I get anything wrong.

One other thing, any reviews would be appreciated as I like to know what you all think, and it also helps me grow as a writer (so if you look at it with a critic's eye, then I will consider what you tell me).

Enjoy.

* * *

 _Chapter Two: The First Week_

"This way, Ravenclaws, hurry up!"

Maya had a hard time keeping up with the brisk pace of her fellow students. They were all taller than her, and had longer legs. How they walked so quickly and gracefully without tripping as many times as she had would forever be a mystery to her. The older boy that was leading the group of Ravenclaws up the stairs soon had them going up a long spiral staircase, which didn't help Maya at all.

 _It's going to take me_ forever _to memorize the way! Why does this place make everything so difficult?_ she thought to herself as she tripped on her robe once again.

"Are you all right?" a boy asked her, looking genuinely concerned. Maya only nodded in response, biting her lip nervously. _Great, already I've gone and made a fool of myself!_

Eventually they came to a stop at a door with a bronze eagle knocker. Maya had a clear view of it and found it quite lovely, but her view was obscured by the boy that had led them up the stairs, and her attention was brought to him as he spoke to the children, "Now, the password will always be the answer to a riddle, but never the same riddle, which means, technically, the password changes constantly," he explained, "Just watch."

The boy walked forward and the door-knocker asked, "The one who made it, didn't want it. The one who bought it, didn't need it. The one who used it, never saw it. What is it?"

"A coffin." the boy replied, and the door opened. "Go on in now. Remember, you must answer the question to the riddle correctly, so I'd recommend a few riddle books to keep your mind at the ready." as Maya followed her classmates inside, she looked around at the room they had entered. It was stunning! "This, is the Ravenclaw Common Room," there were several shocked murmurs coming from the students. The boy ignored them and went on, "You'll find several books to read as well as comfortable places to read them. The entrance to the dormitories are over there, by the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. Girls on the right, boys on the left. You may all go up to said dormitories now, should you wish. All of your belongings will be there, waiting for you. Goodnight."

Everyone dispersed around the common room, though most of them went up to the dormitories. It wasn't long before Maya followed, heading to her own dormitory. The dorms themselves were very nice, as she soon realized. The blankets and curtains were a gorgeous shade of blue that seemed to glow in the moonlight that streamed in from the windows. It was beautiful, and quite soothing as well. The cool atmosphere and silence left Maya feeling safe. So far Hogwarts had proven to be intriguing. Tomorrow it would probably be even better.

Maya made her way to her bed and found her bag and cat-carrier sitting there. Unzipping the cat-carrier, she jumped back. She had expected to find a cat, but instead peered into marble shaped brown eyes that blinked with annoyance, but they didn't belong to a cat. Investigating, she saw that the creature was a marten, a tiny ferret like animal. Maya recalled her mother telling her that her new pet was a gift from someone, though it was a mystery to her. She had not expected something like this, but...would the school allow her to keep it? Maybe her parents hadn't understood the rules, but for now, the marten was Maya's secret.

She zipped up the carrier before setting it underneath her bed, catching the eye of several confused girls, only one of them even remotely close to her age.

"What's the matter, Kensington? Scared of cats or something?" the oldest of the girls - someone Maya had 'met' at dinner - queried, flicking her dark hair back. Maya swallowed uncomfortably and tried to think of a response that wouldn't get her in trouble.

"I'm, er...just not used to having such a...um...large pet. We had...hamsters when I was little..." it was a complete lie. Maya had spent a lot of time at her dad's parents' ranch in Scotland, where they had goats, cows, sheep, dogs, even horses. A hamster was nothing compared to one of Gramma's shires, but apparently the older girls bought the story as they laughed it off and settled into their beds.

It took a few moments before Maya was comfortable moving. Soft snores and slow, rhythmic breathing told her that the other girls were asleep. Maya slowly sat up and carefully searched her bag for her nightgown, which - once she found it - she changed into and climbed into her bed. However, it was not a very good first night.

She managed to dose off several times throughout the night, but each dream was more and more frightening than the last. It took Maya several short dreams to learn that sleep wasn't going to come easy for the next few days, and at that moment she wished she could curl up in her own bed at home, back before she even new that Hogwarts existed.

* * *

Several hours later, Maya found herself surrounded by her fellow Ravenclaws as they all ate breakfast and chatted. It was total chaos, with so many voices talking all at once, and rather loudly too. Maya could make out individual voices without even trying, and even picked up bits of conversations from each table, however faint and brief they were.

"-I'm looking forward to flying, but-"

"-Wonder what sort of things we'll be learning on our first day, what if-"

"-My parents told me all about their time at the school, and I bet-"

"Hey, look, the mail's here!" someone shouted loudly from the Gryffindor table, causing the room to pause as owls began swooping into the Hall and dropping letters and packages at each table. People reached for the things that were addressed to them, and Maya nearly jumped as a letter and a package were dropped in front of her on the table.

Maya examined the items curiously, raising an eyebrow. The package also had a letter taped to it. She opened the first letter and read what it said...

' _We hope you are settling into Hogwarts nicely, and we also hope that you enjoy your first week at your new school._

 _You must forgive the shortness of this letter, as we are not yet used to (or comfortable) transporting mail by way of an...owl. Magic is something we're still getting used to, and we hope you understand our hesitance and worry._

 _The package is a book from the neighbors that live in the farm next to Grandpa's, and they told us you might enjoy it. It's apparently a book they wrote themselves, but it was never published. In case you are wondering why we are suddenly contradicting ourselves, they told us the letter inside the book will explain everything._

 _We hope to send more letters and packages soon, once all this change sets in properly._

 _Best wishes,_

 _-Dad and Mum_ '

Wait...Maya scanned the letter over once more and thought for a moment. If her parents had in fact attended Hogwarts, then why weren't they used to using the owls to send mail? And why was magic something they weren't used to? Maybe they made a mistake.

She brushed her hand over the package, but was too worried about the letter to really care about what was in the package, so she just set it on the table in front of her and studied the letter from her parents over and over again. It was her father's handwriting, it was written on an ordinary piece of paper with an ordinary pencil, but it sort of gave off this vibe that something wasn't right. It didn't make sense. Maybe...

"What's this?"

Maya whirled around and came almost nose to nose with Draco Malfoy, who had snatched the letter from her hands (and the package from the table) and read it rather quickly, before rudely ripping the wrapping off of the package and reading the title of the book, a look of what appeared to be disgust on his face. Before he could say anything to her, she asked him quietly, "Would you _please_ return my letter and that book, Malfoy?" it came out as a mix between a request and an order, which wasn't the original intent and Maya immediately wanted to apologize, but something made her hold her tongue.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow, "Well, Kensington, at least you appear to have more manners than anyone I encountered over at Gryffindor table," he handed the letter back to her nonchalantly, "I was just curious, no need to get worked up. It's not like I care what your _muggle_ parents send to you," he slammed the book down with a loud thud and spat, "Mudblood _liar_!" then spun around and returned to the Slytherin table, shooting daggers at her as he walked around the Ravenclaw table.

"It'd do you a lot of good," a boy sitting next to her said quite suddenly, "to avoid Malfoy and people like him. That is, of course, unless you _want_ to constantly deal with being made fun of for being Muggle-Born."

"M-Muggle-Born? What does that...mean, exactly?" Maya tilted her head to one side.

"A Muggle-Born is someone whom - like myself - is born into a family of Muggles, or, 'non-magic folk' as it was explained to me in my first year," the boy told her, taking a bite of toast.

"I-I'm not Muggle-Born! At least, as far as I know, I mean...my mother told me that we were a H-Half-Blood family, so why would she-"

"May I see the letter?" he interrupted her and she was briefly taken aback, but Maya was used to doing as she was told and instinctively handed him the paper. The boy looked it over and nodded, "Mmm-hmmm. Right there, see? Whoever wrote this wasn't worried about hiding it. Tsk. Look, I don't know what they told you, or why they'd lie to you, but you'd best not tell anyone else of your blood-status. It isn't there business anyways, and it definitely isn't something you need to go around boasting about." he took another bite of toast and a sip of water, "Oh, by the way, my name is Lewis. Lewis Hampton. And you are?"

"I'm...Maya K-Kensington...nice to, umm...meet you," she said awkwardly, still trying to figure out what had just happened. If everything Lewis told her was true, then why would they hid it from her Maya looked at the title of the book, or rather, the title of a stack of papers that was stapled together in the _form_ of a book. In nice, curly handwriting it read ' _A (Unpublished) Muggle-Born's Guide to Hogwarts_ '. There was no name after it, but she figured out pretty quickly that whoever wrote it was rejected for publishing.

She dared a glance around and her gaze locked with Malfoy's as he scowled at her from across the Hall, looking a bit hurt, angry, and disgusted all in one before he invested his time to examining the candles that floated in the air, and the feathers that fell down from when the owls had dropped off the mail. Thankfully, Breakfast was over soon after, and Maya was able to forget most of that morning, but...still.

Maya hung back with a group of first-year Ravenclaws (that eventually mixed with some first-year Hufflepuffs), since they obviously knew more about what was going on than she did.

Overall, their first week went by smoothly. They reached classes on time and for the most part, everything was decent and enjoyable. Maya's overall favorite class had been Transfiguration, where they had tried to turn a match into a needle. Maya almost managed to do so, but in the end she had failed, only turning half of it successfully. On Thursday they had their first flying lesson with Hufflepuff, which Maya had been looking forward to all week, but that was also the day she made a mistake. Or, rather, the teachers saw it as a mistake on her part, but she hadn't gotten locked in the bathroom on purpose.

"Hey, Kensington!" one of her fellow first-years - a loud-mouthed Ravenclaw girl named Amelia - marched over to Maya as she tried to slip away from the mixed group of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Amelia was a head taller than Maya, and was extremely rude and even a tad stupid. It made Maya wonder how the girl had gotten sorted into Ravenclaw to begin with. "Listen, just because you're shy and all doesn't mean you can sneak off without telling anyone. Where are you going, anyways?"

"T-to the b-bathroom..." Maya responded, slouching her shoulders to appear much, much smaller than she already was. A few snickers came from the other first-years as they muttered about her to one another. She added to Amelia, "Unless the rules say I'm not allowed to go to the bathroom before class?"

"Hmmm...well, maybe we should send a partner with you..." Amelia turned to the group and called two of them over, "Samantha will go with you, so you don't get lost."

A confident young Ravenclaw stepped forward, her head held unusually high for an eleven-year-old girl. Amelia murmured something to Samantha as she passed, earning herself a brief nod as Samantha smirked nastily at Maya, "Well, come on Kensington, I don't want to be late for our first flying class," and so the two girls briskly set off towards the bathroom, arriving a few minutes later.

Maya slipped inside, while Samantha hung back.

"I'll wait here." Samantha shot her an unnerving grin as Maya passed by, and she hurried inside to do her business. As Maya began to was her hands after she got out of the stall, she heard the door swing shut suddenly, and the slam echoed through the bathroom. Cautiously, Maya dried her hands and went to open the door, but someone from the other side locked it. From outside she heard Samantha raise her voice to be heard through the door, trying to sound innocent, "Sorry, Kensington, but I'm only following orders."

Maya desperately tried to open the door, even calling out for help, but soon realized it was hopeless and sunk to the floor, trying once more to call for help with a raspy and very pathetic cry, "Please! Help!" Nobody came to her aid, unfortunately, and she waited for at least an hour before she heard the lock on the door click and swing open.

"Are you okay?" asked her rescuer, Carol Manchester, a young Hufflepuff girl in the same year as Maya.

"Y-Yeah...I guess I am, thanks, Carol...how did you know I was...locked up...in here?"

"Well, Samantha came back and told us you were feeling a bit sick and might be a couple of minutes late. I got a bit suspicious because of the way she and Amelia were snickering. I slipped away without anyone noticing, so I could come and see if you were okay, and I found this door shut and locked. Sorry it took so long." Carol told her.

"I-it's fine, at least you showed up at all. Erm...what about...class?"

"Well...it's over now, but maybe we could-"

"YOU TWO!"

Carol and Maya both jumped and looked towards the source of the angry shout to find Professor McGonagall marching towards them, an angry look on her face. As soon as she reached them she bellowed, "What are you doing here...you two should be finishing up Flying class at this point! And I find you-"

"It wasn't our fault, Professor, and we weren't skipping!" Carol blurted without thinking, "Someone locked Maya in the bathroom because you guys left the key in the door. She missed the entire class, and I missed...well...half of it, but...maybe we could make it up?"

McGonagall's anger seemed to be fading, "It's not like there's much I could do to you without consulting Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout first, so it's not as if I could punish you immediately, so stop looking so scared," she sighed, "You two may both join Slytherin and Gryffindor for Flying, _if_ you hurry and go now." Maya and Carol nodded and began to leave. "Oh, and Miss Kensington," Maya paused and turned around. Carol did the same. "I want to see both of you in my office tonight so we can find out exactly what happened. Please inform whomever it was that _supposedly_ locked you in the bathroom?"

"Y-Yes, Ma'am."

"Very good. Off you go, now."

* * *

Upon their arrival at the field, there were (luckily) two brooms left as if somebody knew what had happened and informed the others, though it was highly unlikely, at least judging by Malfoy's reaction as she stepped up next to Crabbe.

"What are _you_ doing here, Mudblood?!" Malfoy drawled angrily, peering around Crabbe. Maya didn't answer. The only acknowledgement that the Slytherin received was a cold, brief glare. "Not going to answer me? What, suddenly a mute or something?"

A few people looked on curiously, but it was Carol that rescued Maya, "Hey, leave her alone, Malfoy." He was about to challenge her, but Carol jerked her head towards something and added in an unusually hostile way, "The teacher's coming and unless you want detention, you'll leave her alone." Malfoy straightened up and cleared his throat, erasing all evidence of anger except for a deadly spark that glinted in his eyes as he smirked at Maya and Carol.

Sure enough, just as Carol had said, their teacher marched down the isle that had been made in between the brooms and children. "Good afternoon, class."

"Good afternoon, Madame Hooch." chorused a couple of children.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson!" Madame Hooch smiled, "Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Hurry up, now."

Maya hesitated at first, and was one of (if not the) last person to step up.

"Now, put your right hand over the boom," instructed Madame Hooch, "And say 'up'"

"Up!" Everyone began at once. Maya saw Harry Potter's broom come up immediately for him, Draco's came up shortly after and he put on a confident smirk, several other brooms also came up for their students.

"With feeling!" Hooch told them all.

"Up! Up!" Maya's broom danced on the ground for a moment or two before shooting up into her hand. One boy, the red-haired boy next to Potter, his broom came up and smacked him in the face.

"Now," Madame Hooch began to walk between the students again, "Once you've got ahold of your broom, I want you to mount it. And grip it tight," she watched them all get onto their brooms, "you don't want to be sliding off the end." Maya at first struggled to get onto it, but eventually succeeded. "When I blow my whistle," Hooch continued, "I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your brooms steady, hover for a moment, then lean forward slightly, and touch back down." she returned to the other end of the lines, "On my whistle. Three - two -" Hooch blew into a shrill whistle.

One boy suddenly began to float up, though he frantically began shouting 'down!' at his broom, though it didn't listen. Madame Hooch began to try and say something, "M-Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Longbottom!" the broom zoomed forward, with several people shouting out "Neville!". 'Neville', however, seemed to have little to no control over his broom as it began to twist and jerk him around. "Come back down this instant!"

Neville Longbottom's broom twisted around the field, back past the group and twisted around before his robes snagged on a statue. "Help!" he called and dangled for a moment as Maya and the other children gathered around to gawk up at him helplessly. Neville's robes began to rip and he fell down again before snagging on one of the torches and then with another rip he fell to the ground. Madame Hooch came sprinting forward, "Everyone out of the way!" she helped Neville up before saying something about a broken wrist, "Everyone is to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing, understand?" she began to lead Neville away, "If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will be out of Hogwarts before they can say 'Quidditch'"

And just like that, Madame Hooch was gone with Neville. Once she was out of earshot, Malfoy tossed something up in the air and addressed a few Slytherin's that Maya and Carol were standing next to. "Did you see his face!? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze," Malfoy presented a round, glass ball, "he would have remembered to fall on his fat arse!"

A few children laughed, but Potter stepped forward and demanded, "Give it here, Malfoy!"

Malfoy turned around, "No," he said firmly, "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find." Malfoy mounted his broom and flew around the class and up into the air, "How about on the roof?" the broom twisted around to face the class and he called down, "What's the matter, Potter?" he challenged, "Bit beyond your reach?"

Maya watched as Potter began to mount his broom, but one student, a young girl that Maya recognized from the sorting as Hermione Granger, stepped forward and told him, "Harry, no _way_! You heard what Madame Hooch said! Besides, you don't even know how to fly!" Potter ignored her and pushed off the ground. Maya heard Hermione say, "What an idiot..." to his back as he flew up to meet Malfoy in the air.

It was hard to hear what they were saying, but Maya strained enough to block out the other voices and sounds and focus on Potter and Malfoy's voices.

"Give it here, Malfoy, or I'll knock you off your broom!" Potter yelled.

"Is that so?" Malfoy tossed it in the air and caught it again. Potter leaned forward and tried to snatch it from Malfoy's hand, but the Slytherin boy twisted underneath his broom and dodged Potter before expertly coming back up. Malfoy looked back at Potter and called, "Have it your way then!" and threw the glass ball as far as he could and hovered for a moment as Potter raced after it.

When Malfoy returned to the ground, he watched Potter speed off, and Malfoy frowned when Potter returned with the ball.

The children rushed at Harry, cheering. Maya wasn't sure what to think, but also raced off towards Potter. After only a few moments of cheering, Professor McGonagall marched over. "Harry Potter!" she called. Everyone froze and looked towards the professor, "Follow me."

As they walked off, Malfoy smirked and murmured something to Crabbe and Goyle, which caused them to laugh a bit. Maya, feeling unusually brave, stepped up to him, "That was a nasty thing to do, Malfoy!"

"Really? And what does it matter to you, mudblood?"

"...Don't call me a mudblood..."

"Oh, and I suppose you think you're going to stop me?" Malfoy smirked, giving her a shove forward, "A poor, mute little Ravenclaw, going to stand up to _me_?" another shove, this time harder than the first. Maya didn't think about her actions, which she normally did, and instead closed her eyes and made a fist instinctively. She must have been unaware of what she had been doing, because when she opened her eyes again, Malfoy was doubled over in pain, clutching his side and whimpering slightly. A few of the Gryffindor students were clapping, Carol looked as if she was trying to hide her amusement, and the Slytherin students were gathered around Malfoy, helping him up. He glared at Maya with a cold stare, "You better be careful, Kensington!" Malfoy clutched his side (more specifically, his ribcage) and moved to the other side of the crowd.

Carol skipped over to Maya and chuckled, "That was amazing! Nobody saw it coming!"

"I-I didn't mean to hit him...I just wanted him to shut up...d-do you think he's mad?"

"Oh, he's furious! But, don't worry! I'll be here to protect you!" Carol put on a determined expression as if she was dead serious, which slightly unnerved Maya.

The rest of that day, Carol spent her time attempting to befriend Maya, and by dinner Maya considered the kind, spunky Hufflepuff to be her friend. Not that she'd tell Carol that.

* * *

The next day was Friday, and they had the afternoon off that day.

Maya spent the rest of her time exploring the castle, trying to find any cool places she could hide to draw, read, or even write. There was a tree on the grounds that was perfect for climbing, and on her way there she bumped into Malfoy and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to punch you, or-or bump into you today! It was an accident, I swear!" thinking that Crabbe and Goyle were nearby, she tried to hurry off, but he seized her arm, making her shudder. Was he going to get even?

"I...accept your apology, and wish to offer my own." Malfoy told her, "It was rude of me, and I...apologize." it seemed rehearsed. Maybe an adult had found out and Malfoy had been forced to apologize. You could see it in his silver-blue eyes that he did not want to be here, apologizing to Maya. Regardless of this, she was going to take advantage of the moment. Checking around for his two lackeys, she grinned and wriggled free of his grasp.

"Come with me..." she told him and grabbed his wrist, dragging him outside onto the school grounds and taking him to a nice oak tree. Swallowing, she asked him, "H-have you ever climbed a tree before?" Malfoy shook his head. "Would you like me to teach you?" Malfoy thought for a moment, his eyes sweeping up to the top of the tree, but eventually he shrugged and nodded. "Umm...good. Just...follow my lead, I guess?" Maya placed her foot carefully on the bark and reached for the low hanging branch and with all her might pulled herself up onto the wide, natural platform between several branches and onto onto one of them, peering down at Malfoy and grinning, "You turn!"

Malfoy looked at the tree cautiously and tried to mimic what Maya had done. He nearly slipped, but after a little while (with some help from Maya) Malfoy had scurried up next to her. "Wow! You can see most of the grounds from up here!"

"Pretty cool, right?" Maya smirked.

"Er, yeah, sure. It's nice."

"Maybe tree-climbing lessons are in order? I can be a great teacher, that is...if you'd like to be my friend?"

Malfoy shrugged, "I guess. Only if you don't punch me in my ribs again."

"Don't worry, I-I won't." Maya chuckled a bit, "Thanks, Malfoy."

"Kensington? Can you call me Draco? It's what my...friends call me."

"Okay, sure. _Draco_."

* * *

Later that night, Maya was sitting on her bed, currently the only one awake in the dorm. Crawling around on her blankets was her pine marten, which she still needed to ask about. She was trying not to name the little thing until she knew for sure that she was allowed to keep it.

After a few hours of being unable to sleep, Maya pulled out the stapled stack of papers that had been sent and opened the first page, which contained a letter. She opened it up, examining the neat cursive, and read it...

' _Dear Maya,_

 _I hope that you have had a wonderful first week at Hogwarts, and I also hope that you understand that I wrote this book specifically for you._

 _When you were little, about 7 or 8, I saw you over at your grandparents' farm that time that your Grandmother's prized mare was injured by that stray dog and near death. You healed her, remember? I knew then that you definitely had your name down for Hogwarts!_

 _I suppose I must tell you how I know all of this. Well, my dear, my husband and myself attended Hogwarts many years ago! In fact, my granddaughter is in the same year as you. Perhaps you've met her? Her name is Carol Manchester. If you're ever looking for a friend, there's no better one than her! I believe she was sorted into Hufflepuff, as a matter of fact. Fitting, wouldn't you say?_

 _Anyways. In this book that I wrote for you, I list how I understood things better in my time at Hogwarts. I must warn you to be wary of any Purebloods that attend the school. They will not take kindly to someone like us._

 _Until I am able to write to you again: farewell!_

 _-Mrs. Bishop_

 _P.S._

 _In case you are wondering, I let your parents borrow our family's owl to write letters._

 _P.P.S._

 _The marten was a gift from myself and my husband. We already checked with the school, and she is indeed welcome, so I'd go ahead and name her._ '

Maya nodded. The letter explained a lot, though she was a bit surprised to learn that sweet Mrs. Bishop from next door was actually a witch. She was also surprised to read that Mrs. Bishop had sent the marten and was surprised to see that she somehow knew that Maya hadn't named the marten. A lot of things were surprising the little eleven-year-old. So much so, that she soon dozed off.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Halloween and Quidditch

' _Dear Mom and Dad,_

 _The past few weeks have been absolutely wonderful! I made two new friends! A Hufflepuff named Carol and a Slytherin named Draco, and both are really fun to be around, though Draco takes a bit of time to warm up to._

 _I apologize for not writing back sooner, but we have a lot of studying to do, and it has kept me extremely busy. That and I've been spending so much time in the library that I haven't gone to the Owlery yet. Hogwarts has a massive library, and I've read every book I could get my hands on, though some are very strange, not all like the books I've read in Grandpa's study._

 _Now, I know the truth about our heritage and how you lied about going to Hogwarts, but honestly! I have found that being a witch is nothing to be ashamed of, and I hope you never lie to me again._

 _I have also included a letter for Grandpa and Grandma, as well as Mrs. Bishop and I trust you will see that they receive them?_

 _Please give Mitchell, Paul, Sarah, and everyone else my love and tell them that I look forward to seeing them at Christmas break. Happy Halloween, by the way._

 _-_ _L. M. Kensington_ _._ '

Maya folded the letter into an envelope and looked outside. The sun was starting to rise and she still had some time before breakfast, so she carefully changed into her school robes, beckoned for her pine marten (named Aspen) and the little brown creature scurried up onto Maya's shoulder as Maya cautiously exited Ravenclaw Tower and jogged down the spiral staircase and into the halls.

She was careful not to be seen by the caretaker, Argus Filch, or by his loyal cat, Mrs. Norris, mainly out of fear that this was still too early for students to be roaming about the massive castle. Maya remembered the directions that she had asked for a day or two ago and managed to find her way relatively fast.

The Owlery smelled awful. The air was dry and dusty, causing Maya to cough. Aspen leapt down from Maya's shoulder and scurried over to where the owls were and disturbed a few of the sleeping birds whilst in search of eggs. "Really?" Maya smirked at the baby marten as the little thing sneezed a feather off of her nose, dodging a few angry owls that swooped out of their resting places for revenge. Maya located the owl that belonged to her grandparents' neighbor, Mrs. Bishop and let the owl pick up the letter and fly off into the distance. Once the owl was nothing more than a dark speck in the cloudy, gray sky, Maya and Aspen made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

They were among the first ones there, and Maya looked up at the bewitched ceiling, which currently resembled a foggy morning sky, as she sat down at the usual Ravenclaw table and pulled out the 'book' that Mrs. Bishop had sent her and read the last two chapters in the time it took for everyone else to show up, tucking the book back into her robes as everyone began breakfast.

Before anyone could notice that Aspen was there, Maya picked her up and placed her in the large pocket on the inside of her robes, since Aspen was still young and small and the robes had pockets that could completely conceal her wand as well as Aspen and still have room left over. Maya gave Aspen a piece of toast to munch on, and once breakfast was over, Maya checked on Aspen to make sure she was alright.

Everything went smoothly the rest of the day, but Maya had seen nothing of Draco or Carol all day, until she got to Charms class and saw Draco sitting between Crabbe and Goyle. Conveniently enough for Maya, Carol was sitting almost next to them, and there was an empty seat between her and the three Slytherins. While Maya didn't necessarily _want_ to sit within ten feet of Goyle (or Crabbe, for that matter), it appeared that it was the only empty seat left in the class at the time. So, she naturally took a seat. Carol held in a squeal of happiness as Maya sat down. Draco noticed and glanced over at them, giving a half-smirk, half-smile, to which Maya gave as sweet a smile as she could in response.

Professor Flitwick, the short and stout Charms teacher and head of Ravenclaw House, began his lesson from atop his stack of books he used so he was visible. "One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation, or, the ability to make objects fly, eh," he paused and scanned the classroom, "do you have your feathers?" it appeared that he wasn't expecting an answer, as he continued from there, "Good. Now, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing, hmm? The swish and flick? Everyone," the entire class joined in with their wands to say 'swish and flick' repeating the movement they'd all been taught. "Hmm, good. Oh, and annunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then."

Everyone in the class lazily swished and flicked their wands in the air, drawling out stupidly, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Maya tried her best, waving the wand in a neat and exact moment and repeating what the teacher had said, but to her disappointment, nothing happened. Quite suddenly, Professor Flitwick shouted, "Well done! See here, everyone! Miss Granger's done it! Splendid!"

Maya and the other students looked up with awe at the feather that was levitating towards the ceiling. Hermione Granger sat smirking in her seat, watching her feather and twitching her wrist with her wand in her hand.

A Gryffindor boy sitting beside Weasley waved his wand aggressively and shouted, "Wingardum Leviosa! Wingardum-" he was cut off by a loud explosion, and everyone jumped in surprise as Harry Potter said, "I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor."

While Flitwick gave another feather to the boy, Maya flicked her wand again and said over and over again, "Wingardium Leviosa! Wingardium Leviosa!" and finally, the feather floated off her desk a little bit (not nearly as high as Hermione's did, though) and dropped down again. Only a few people seemed to notice, Carol and Draco included. While Carol congratulated Maya happily, Draco only gave a small nod of what could be considered approval. Maya was screaming triumphantly inside, but she was far to quiet to let it show how pleased she was.

The rest of the day went by rather boringly, and once classes were over, Maya raced off to the tree she had climbed with Draco about a month ago and when she reached it, she pulled a rather disgruntled looking Aspen out of her pocket and set her down so she could climb up the tree. Maya climbed to one of the higher branches and slid into one of the seat shaped nooks, pulling out her quill-pen and her homework and began to work on it, still beaming from earlier that day when she had successfully levitated the feather.

"Kensington? Are you up there?" a familiar voice called from below.

Maya looked down the tree and saw Draco squinting as if he was trying to see her, but the leaves that still clung to the branches of the tree shielded her from his view, but she replied as loudly as she cared to, "Yes, Draco, come on up!"

There was a faint sound of bark scraping and a few moments later, Draco hopped onto a branch across from Maya. "Good job in Charms today," he said, sounding a bit out of breath. His pale blond hair was ruffled in some places. Draco seemed to be aware of this, though, because he slicked his hair back in place once again. "I already know the answer to this, but have you ever seen a game of Quidditch?"

Maya frowned and shook her head, "No," she stated simply, "What is Quidditch?"

"It's a wizard game," he told her flatly, waving a leaf out of his face as a breeze shook the smaller, thinner branches around them, "There's a game between Gryffindor and Slytherin coming up tomorrow, in fact. Would you like to go? I'm not sure if it's mandatory to attend or not, so most likely you'd be going regardless, but would you like to go with me specifically? And cheer for Slytherin?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Sounds...intriguing, so, I guess I'll go."

Draco grinned happily, "Great!"

"Umm...just so I'm not completely confused when we get there, what is the goal in Quidditch? Like, how exactly does the game work?"

Draco quickly explained it to her, explaining the different positions, what the balls in the game were used for, as well as what positions dealt witch which ball. When he was explaining the Seeker position to her, he veered off onto a rant about how Potter shouldn't have been allowed on the Gryffindor Team, and how first-years aren't allowed to have their own brooms, so Potter shouldn't have been an exception. It continued for a while before Maya looked at the sky and said, "Y'know, I think it's time for dinner. We should get going."

He stopped and looked up like Maya had done, "Alright." Draco hopped out of the tree, almost slipped when he landed on the ground, but called up as soon as he regained his balance, "Aren't you coming?"

Maya paused in gathering her books and papers, "W-what?"

Draco let out what could be considered a snort of annoyance, "To dinner? I'll walk with you to the Great Hall so we can talk some more."

She quickly gathered up her books and Aspen jumped onto her shoulder just before Maya slid off her branch and landed beside Draco, "Thanks, I guess."

The two of them chatted together on their way to the Great Hall for dinner. Once they reached the doors, Draco peered inside cautiously and then bid her farewell and hurried over to the Slytherin table. Maya wished he would have stayed a bit longer, but she shook it off and stayed to the wall before keeping her head down and briskly walking over to sit with the rest of Ravenclaw House.

Maya took a seat beside Lewis Hampton, a kind boy who was a year ahead of her. Lewis smiled as she sat down, "Hiya, Kensington. Nice to see you again. Had anymore trouble for being Muggle-Born?" she shook her head in reply and he continued, "Good, good. Help yourself to any of the sweets they have tonight. Halloween is great because of all the different treats we get. Does your family have any traditions on Halloween?"

"No," Maya frowned, taking a small cupcake and placing it on her plate, "we don't, well, n-not really, I mean. I was raised in a house-hold that never thought it important to celebrate Halloween. We would usually stay at home and watch re-runs of _The Twilight Zone_. W-what about you?"

"Eh, we would go trick-or-treating sometimes, but nothing too exciting." Lewis said, swallowing a large bite of carrot cake. Maya was far less ravenous than her fellow students, choosing instead to pick small pieces off and 'nibble' so to speak.

Dinner was rudely and abruptly interrupted by Professor Quirrell, the stuttering Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, as he burst into the hall and came sprinting down between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff's tables, screaming as loudly as he could, "T-TROOLLL IN THE DUNGEON! TROOLL IN THE D-DUNGEON!" an awkward silence fell as all eyes locked on the normally quiet professor as he whimpered, "Just thought you ought to know..." as soon as he finished talking, Professor Quirrell fell to the floor, likely having fainted. Not two seconds after he had fainted, the whole room erupted into terrified screams as everyone, regardless of whether or not they wanted to be, was swept up in the chaos and heading for the door.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore bellowed and everyone froze. "Prefects, please lead your Houses back to their dormitories, and teachers, please follow me to the dungeons."

Maya bit her lip as the Ravenclaw prefects announced, "Ravenclaws, follow me, please. And stay both vigilant and calm." _Stay vigilant and calm. Vigilant and calm. and calm._ Calm... Maya picked apart the sentence in her brain, repeating the last word multiple times in the back of her mind. As they were leaving the Great Hall, Maya caught sight of Draco's frantic expression. _Maybe the Slytherin prefects should try telling_ their _fellow House-mates that. Might do them some good_. Maya thought snidely, wrinkling her nose at Crabbe, Goyle, and several other Slytherin students that appeared to be overdramatizing the entire situation.

The thought of the troll that was lurking through the castle was enough for her to understand why they were so scared, but panicking never solved anything, and usually only got someone a nice headstone. Maya distracted herself by analyzing panicky behavior, only after checking her pocket to make sure that Aspen was snug inside, and much to her horror, she realized that Aspen was gone. _No. No, no, NO!_ her mind screamed as she froze halfway up the spiral staircase to Ravenclaw tower, people shoving past her without thinking. If Aspen was out there...with that troll, then...now, was a good time to panic.

Without anyone noticing, she wheeled around and raced back down the staircase, cautiously stepping out into the hallways. Maya realized that she hadn't remembered Aspen climbing into her pocket, and she hadn't remembered Aspen even being on her shoulder in the great hall. Everything was so silent in the castle, and Maya could hear her own breath echoing off the walls. It caused her to shudder. Careful to stick to the walls and shadows, Maya crept on silently.

Maya saw nothing and heard nothing, not even the sound of a troll. As she turned another corridor, she bumped into something - or rather, someone - and nearly jumped out of her skin, letting out a shrill yelp before she heard, "Shhh! D'you _want_ to die, Kensington?" came a familiar drawling voice. Maya breathed a sigh of relief. _Draco_. But...what was he doing here, anyways?

"Draco, what're you d-doing down here? Shouldn't you be with the rest of Slytherin?" Maya whispered.

"Our House is in the dungeons. Where the troll is. Why do you think I'd want to be with them right now?" Draco huffed. Maya's heart sank as she remembered Aspen. Draco didn't notice her crestfallen expression, or maybe he did, because he went on casually, "I was actually on my way to Ravenclaw Tower when I bumped into you," he reached into his pocket and produced a small, furry creature, who's mouth was open stiffly and panting, "I think you lost someone."

"Aspen! Draco, how did you find her? How did you know I had come looking for her!" Maya felt more energized than she had in a while, and she plucked Aspen from his arms and cradled her gently.

"I didn't actually. She was in my pocket. I figured you'd miss her and it was a way to get out of the dungeons, so I was saving my own hide. Remember that. If word gets out that I did something for a mud-blood..." Draco hissed, but there was a proud and happy spark in his eyes as Maya slipped Aspen into her own pocket. "You should get back before someone notices you're gone." he suggested after a few seconds of awkward silence.

Maya turned to leave, took a couple of steps, and then froze, looking back. Draco hadn't moved. "What about you?"

"Well, I was just going to sit here and wait it out. I doubt anybody will realize I had left." Draco tapped his foot impatiently. He raised an eyebrow as Maya returned to his side. "Why are _you_ still here?" she ignored him and slumped to the floor to sit down, her back pressed against the wall, patting the stone next to her so he would know to sit down. Reluctantly, he did, making sure that he sat in a stiff position so that his shoulder didn't touch hers. Draco and Maya both chuckled as Aspen jumped out of Maya's pocket and chased her tail like a puppy.

"I don't have a disease, you know." Maya said as she stroked Aspen, not taking her eyes off the brown fuzz-ball. "Being Muggle-Born isn't a disease. You aren't going to catch it." she smirked.

"So?"

"So, stop sitting so uncomfortably."

Draco's shoulders relaxed and brushed against hers. He wore an awkward grimace, as if he was trying hard not to offend her. _A first for him, perhaps? For once he has to be nice_! Maya smirked at him, but as soon as she saw his crooked, forced smile, she tried to stifle a chuckle.

The two eleven-year-olds huddled close together as they heard several loud bellows coming from nearby, and they were concealed in the shadows as Hermione Granger hurried back to Gryffindor Tower. A few minutes later, Potter and Weasley also walked past, talking about the defeat of the troll and something about 'saving her life', so Maya assumed that all was well, now.

"I guess it's time to go?" Maya grunted, sitting up and checking around to make sure nobody was coming. Brushing some dust off of her, she made sure that Aspen was indeed in her pocket and looked back at Draco, "See you tomorrow at the Quidditch game?"

"Yeah. Goodnight, Kensington.." Draco got up and headed off towards Slytherin House, his footsteps fading into silence.

Maya hurried off towards Ravenclaw Tower and answered the riddle, slipping inside when suddenly, " _Where_. _Did_. _You_. _GO_?!" the Ravenclaw prefect yelled as Maya entered the common room. She froze and began stuttering.

"I-I-I was j-just..." her mouth moved but nothing came out after that.

The prefect went on and on and on angrily, practically foaming at the mouth when he suddenly yelled, "FIVE points from Ravenclaw for sneaking out at night when there's a TROLL ON THE LOOSE, and another FIVE for worrying us all to death!" he shouted, "I hope you're satisfied, Kensington...hmmf!" the prefect let out a disgruntled, dramatic sigh, and rubbed his temple, "Now, if you'll all excuse me," hd glanced around at the other Ravenclaws that were gaping, wide-eyed, at him and Maya, "I'm going to bed now..."

Maya watched as he swept away and took a seat on the couch, shooting daggers at a few of the others that were still watching her. Seeing her sharp gaze, they cleared their throats and returned to whatever it was they were doing. Maya picked up a random book off one of the bookshelves and began reading. She read for hours and hours, until everyone left the common room and headed to their dormitories. After a little while, Maya also headed up to her dorm.

She was the last one awake and quietly changed into her pajamas, curled up in her bed, and clutched Aspen to her side. Maya didn't remember falling asleep, but she must have, because what felt like only seconds later, she awoke - as always - before everyone else and stared out the curtains to see the faint glimmer of early-morning light.

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait!" Maya skidded to a halt in the halls on her way to the Quidditch match with Carol, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. She held out her hands to grab Draco and Carol's wrists as she exclaimed in an unusually loud voice, "You're telling me that people end up in the _hospital_ for _weeks_ after playing this game, and you all _enjoy_ it?!"

Draco shrugged nonchalantly, obviously bothered by the hold-up, "That's the sport. Entertainment." Carol, who glared disapprovingly at Draco's two lackeys as she had done all morning, nodded in agreement.

Maya's stomach twisted in knots. "Well...I suppose Boxing really isn't much different, in the sense that people get hurt a lot in it-"

"Boxing?" Draco asked in bewilderment as they started walking once more.

"It's a Muggle...er...well, they recognize it as a sport," Carol explained, much to Maya's relief. "Basically two people are put into a ring, even though it's shaped like a box, and they basically punch each other in the face until one of them gets knocked down. They have three tries to knock someone out. At least, I _think_ that's how it worked. My family never paid attention to it."

"And you think Quidditch is bad, Kensington? Yet you enjoy this...boxing?" Draco wrinkled his nose.

" _I_ never watched it, and I certainly don't _enjoy_ it! I hate the mere _thought_ of it!" Maya sputtered out in exasperation as they took seats in the large stands around the Quidditch field.

Carol hung around Maya and the rest of the Slytherins, though she held up a Gryffindor flag. Seeing the curious look from Maya and the slightly disgusted look from Draco, she said, "I like their chances this year. Besides, most of the other Hufflepuffs are rooting for Gryffindor, and they explained to me why. I also heard that, erm, Slytherin likes to play dirty?" she gave Draco a playful nudge (much to his annoyance) and then asked Maya, "So, who are you rooting for, Maya?"

"I don't really care who wins," she shrugged. "Whoever wins, wins, I suppose. And, whoever loses, well...better luck next time."

"You aren't taking a side?" Carol questioned.

Maya shook her head, "I'm neutral, I suppose. I've been that way with all sports. Now, hush, it's starting..."

"Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts first Quidditch game of the season!" a young boy announced, "Today's game, Slytherin VS. Gryffindor!"

Cheers exploded all around, though the loudest ones came from Gryffindor. Maya found it a little bit hard to not join in on the cheering and clapped along with Draco and the others. Even Carol bounced up and down excitedly, not afraid to wave her Gryffindor flag around the several Slytherins that happened to shoot nasty glares at her.

"The players take their positions as Madame Hooch steps out onto the field, to begin the game!" the boy paused so Madame Hooch could say something to the people who were floating on their brooms. Madame Hooch kicked the box and out flew three balls, and the boy said, "The Bludgers are up, followed by the Golden Snitch! Remember — The snitch is worth 150 points. The Seeker who catches the Snitch, wins the game." another pause as a fourth ball was thrown into the air, "The Quaffle is released, and the game begins!"

The players zoomed around the field on their brooms. One Gryffindor clutched a ball in her hand and twisted through a few Slytherin players before tossing it through one of the large hoops. A loud bell rang out and the boy shouted, "Angelina Johnson scores! Ten points for Gryffindor!" the Gryffindor students exploded into cheers and clapping. After a while the boy went on, "Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle! Bletchley passes to Captain Marcus Flint"

A Slytherin boy, who Maya assumed was Flint, clutched a ball and dodged a Bludger and several Gryffindor players as he crossed the field on his broom. Flint even kicked a Gryffindor girl out of his way, which Maya then understood why Carol had said that Slytherin liked to 'play dirty'. Flint dodged a Bludger and another Gryffindor and tossed the ball towards one of the hoops, but the Gryffindor Keeper flew up and did a graceful spin that blocked the Quaffle from going in. The two exchanged somewhat nasty looks that weren't difficult to see.

The game went on for a while, though Maya really would have preferred to have gone inside now. It was dizzying to watch everyone spin around like that on their brooms. After a few moments, the Gryffindor Seeker's broom started to zig-zag about. Somehow this overjoyed Draco, but Maya shared the same worried expression that Carol did. Maya recognized the Seeker as Harry Potter and tilted her head curiously with a very concerned expression as the broom suddenly knocked Potter off so that he was dangling from the broom, his arms just barely keeping him up. Draco cheered about this somehow.

"Draco!" Maya gasped, "How can you find this pleasant! Potter could die!"

Draco ignored her and continued to cheer for Potter's demise. However, Potter finally swung his leg back over the broom and raced up next to the Slytherin Seeker.

The two Seekers shoved each other back and forth before they plunged into a sharp dive and headed after the Snitch at full speed, straight towards the ground. The Slytherin Seeker pulled up out of fear, but Potter continued on and pulled up at the last second, his feet up on his broom. Suddenly, Potter stood up and reached out for the Snitch. He almost had it and then — BAM! Potter took a step forward and was flung off his broom. When he stood up, he clutched his stomach, looking as if he was going to throw up. A few moments later his mouth opened and the Snitch fell into his hands.

"He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives one hundred and fifty points for catching the Snitch!"

A long, shrill whistle came from Madame Hooch and she shouted out, "Gryffindor Wins!"

The Gryffindor students cheered and shouted (so did Carol), but Maya felt a little nauseated after watching the game. The Slytherins yelled their protests, and Draco put his head and his palms and said, "No!" looking incredibly disappointed. Potter lifted up the Snitch, a triumphant look on his face as his teammates gathered around and the cheering's volume increased.

After everyone cleared out, Maya told Draco and Carol she would be in the Library. She returned to her dorm to get Aspen and headed to the Library, sitting at one of the tables and grabbing the first book she could find. Maya opened it and buried her nose in it, feeling sick after watching the match, but she didn't know why, exactly.

On her way to dinner that evening, she bumped into Draco in the halls. "What's the matter with you? I haven't seen you since the game."

Maya didn't really want to answer, but she bit her lip and told him, "I-I didn't really like the game, that's all."

"Why not?"

 _Why not!?_ she wanted to scream, _Because you cheer for someone to fall off their broom and to their death, perhaps?_ Instead she told him, in a reasonable tone, "It's just...not my cup of tea. I mean, I enjoyed it, but I'm not a big sports fan, so I couldn't really...get into it, that's all..."

"Oh, okay, then." Draco shrugged. "See you tomorrow, Kensington." and with that, he marched over to the Slytherin table, where Maya saw Crabbe and Goyle glaring at her. She shook it off and went to sit with her own House.

Everything went normally the rest of the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: The Late Night Adventure

Maya had quickly forgotten the two weeks of Christmas break that she had spent at Hogwarts. Her family had told her to stay at the school for the holidays, as it would help her 'grow' in her 'independence'. It wasn't entirely false. The two weeks had taught Maya just how independent she was, having to get things for herself, do things for herself, find entertainment for herself. It was actually pretty fun.

Most of it had been spent in the library. In fact, Maya had read (almost) every book in the library in those two weeks, save for the ones in the Restricted Section. What could she say, she was a fast reader, and if you combined that with boredom and loneliness

Christmas Day had been wonderful, though. Maya had gotten a couple of riddle books and a Bible from her parents, much to her delight. From Carol she had received Hogwarts: A History, and then there was the gift from Draco.

Yes, her gift from Draco had been helpful (but not as helpful as the riddle books were). His gift had indirectly been for Aspen more than it was for Maya. Draco had sent her a leather collar and lead for Aspen, with a note that had said:

 _I hear Muggles use these ridiculous looking things on their pets to keep them close by. Maybe you won't lose that silly Pine Marten thing again._

 _-Draco M._

Not that Maya was unhappy with the gift. It actually made it easier for her to train Aspen to stay close, however, she was taking no chances by trusting Aspen after what had happened at Halloween. It was as if Draco had known exactly what she needed. Perhaps he had.

* * *

 _Scratch, scratch, **SCRAAAATCH**!_

Maya grumbled, burying her head in her pillow as she heard something scratching on her bedpost. When the scratching did not stop, Maya threw her covers off and blinked into the darkness in her room, finding two glowing, amber orbs blinking back at her. "…Aspen…go to bed…please…"

Aspen let out a chittering nose and bounced off Maya's bed and over to the dormitory door, scratching on it and chattering loudly. Great. It was the middle of the night and Aspen had to go to the-

"Okay!" Maya hissed as a few of her roommates stirred and mumbled in their sleep. "If you really need to use the bathroom…silly creature." she grabbed the lead and hooked it to Aspen's collar, slowly opening the door. When she reached the Common Room she paused, checking to make sure that no one was there and then she crept quietly to the door and pushed it open, sneaking out as quietly as she could.

Maya was trying to walk as quietly as a mouse, narrowly avoiding anything that might cause noise. Once outside, she made sure to stick to the shadows, unseen by anybody (or at least, she hoped). Maya tried to rush Aspen, and eventually the Pine Marten did what she had to do and Maya started back towards the castle when movement caught her eye.

Someone - though it was too dark to tell who it was - was racing back towards the castle from the gamekeeper's hut. A moment later the door swung open and three more people (first years, judging from their height) followed at a slower pace than the other person. Maya waited a few minutes before following back to the castle, and she froze out of fright when she saw one door was open and heard voices from inside.

She recognized Draco's voice, "Excuse me, Professor, but, perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said, 'the four of us'?"

The next voice belonged to Professor McGonnagall, "Oh no, you heard me correctly, Mr. Malfoy. As honorable as your intentions were, you too were up after hours. You will serve detention with your classmates."

You could easily tell that they (whoever 'they' were) weren't too pleased about that at all. Maya held her breath as they came out of the classroom and when they noticed her she waved and smiled sheepishly, "H-hi?"

The four people were Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Draco. Draco looked her up and down, "And what are _you_ doing out, Kensington?"

It was as if Draco was trying to get her in trouble as well. Professor McGonnagall came out of the classroom and let out a furious and exasperated sigh, "Is every single first year roaming about the grounds in the middle of the night!? Miss Kensington, may I ask what you're doing out at night with a-a pine marten on your shoulder?"

"I-well you see — I was kind of — but then I saw that — I wasn't out because — A-Aspen needed-" Maya stammered, her sentences making absolutely no sense at all.

Professor McGonnagall pressed a hand to the bridge of her nose and sighed, "Five points from Ravenclaw. Miss Kensington, you will be joining Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasely, and Miss. Granger for detention tomorrow night. Honestly! There hasn't been this much trouble since —" she broke off, raising an eyebrow at the five first-years that were blinking curiously. She cleared her throat, "Return to your dormitories, please. Quickly. Don't stop for any sightseeing on the way! Good _night_!" the door to the Transfiguration classroom slammed shut.

The five of them stood awkwardly clustered around the door before Draco glared daggers at Potter, Weasley, and Granger, and whipped around, stomping away without bothering to look back. That left Maya alone with the three Gryffindors. They too looked at her, mostly with curious expressions and then marched off as well. Maya glanced around, looking up at Aspen and scratching her under her chin, whispering, "Looks like I won't be getting much sleep tomorrow night, girl. Thanks a lot you silly thing…" Aspen let out a cooing noise as Maya scratched her chin and headed back to Ravenclaw Tower.

* * *

The next day went by quickly, and before Maya knew it night had fallen and she went to serve detention with the others.

Mr. Filch led them out of the castle and onto the grounds, carrying a lantern in front of them. As they walked he told them, "A pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time when detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming." he was leading them towards the gamekeeper's hut. As they approached, Mr. Filch announced, "You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the dark forest." he said dramatically.

A huge man with a long, curly beard clutched a crossbow in his hand. Beside him stood a huge gray dog with a drooping face.

"Sorry 'bout this Hagrid." Mr Filch said, then saw Hagrid's teary eyes and he added, "Good God, man, you aren't still on about that bloody dragon, are you Hagrid?" at these words, Draco looked at Filch and smirked as if he was taking great pleasure from seeing Hagrid in a miserable state. If Maya was being honest, he probably was.

"Norbert's gone…" Hagrid said sadly. Maya had no idea about anything that was going on, but she could tell it had something to do with someone named Norbert and a dragon. Or maybe a dragon named Norbert? "Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony."

"But that's good, isn't it? He'll be with his own kind." Hermione said.

"Yeah, but what if 'e don' like Romania!?" Hagrid almost snapped, tearing up even more. "What if the other dragons are mean to 'im? He's only a baby after all!" at these words Filch rolled his eyes.

Maya almost sympathized with Hagrid, but she didn't speak up or say anything to comfort him, mainly because she had no idea what they were talking about. All she knew was that they had all been caught out at night and they were all serving detention, and she didn't want anymore details than that.

Filch growled out, "Oh, for God's sake, pull yourself together, man! You're going into the forest after all. Got to have your wits about you."

"The forest?!" Draco exclaimed suddenly, making Maya jump, "I thought that was a _joke_! We can't go in there!" he looked towards the forest and Filch turned around and glared down at him furiously as Draco went on, "Student aren't allowed! Besides, there are —" a long, deep howl from the forest cut him off and he nodded towards the forest, " — werewolves!"

Filch grinned sadistically at Draco, "Oh, there's more than werewolves in those trees, lad. You can be sure of that."

Draco glanced back at the forest and then at Filch with a pitiful frown. Maya shuddered at the thought of going in the forest and considered figuring out how to change Aspen into a fish, but realized that was her anger talking. Still, a fish wouldn't need to be walked at night...

"Nighty night." Filch said, his eyes scanning over them briefly as he turned and marched away with his lantern.

Everyone's gazes followed him fearfully before the five children looked at Hagrid, awaiting instructions. "Right. Let's go." Hagrid told them with a nod and set off to the edge of the forest.

The forest was dark and eery with fog everywhere. The light from the moon had been blocked by the dense trees. Hagrid led them with a small lantern, but it didn't produce much light. Hagrid soon stopped by a a fallen tree and leaned down, dipping his fingers through a thick, silver puddle. "Hagrid," said Potter as Hagrid stood back up straight again, "what is that?"

"What we're here for," muttered Hagrid darkly, then raised his hand up to the lantern so they could see it, "y'see that? That's unicorn blood, that is." Maya felt a bit nauseous and shocked, Hermione, Potter, and Weasley shared her expressions of terror. Hagrid went on, "I found one dead, a few weeks ago," he glanced around, "now, this one's been hurt bad by something —" he paused and Maya and Potter both happened to look out into the woods, and Maya thought she saw a cloaked figure gliding through the fog. Must have just been the light playing tricks on her mind, because it vanished and Hagrid continued talking, "— so it's our job, to go and find the poor beast."

Hagrid let what he had said sink in before he announced, "Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me —"

"Okay…" said Ron weakly. He looked as sick and frightened as Maya felt.

"— and Harry, you'll go with Malfoy and Kensington." Hagrid finished. Harry looked at Draco with disgust and then at Maya. His expression of hatred vanished and he quickly looked back to Hagrid and nodded.

"Okay," snapped Draco, a mix between a smile and a smirk on his lips, "then I get Fang!"

"Fine," said Hagrid, "just so's you know, he's a bloody coward."

Draco's smirk-smile faded and changed to one of worry and fear as he looked at the massive dog. Harry and Maya followed his gaze as Fang looked at them and let out a low groaning sound.

As soon as they were on their own and away from Hagrid, things went silent for a while until Draco started whining, "Wait 'till my father hears about this!" Draco told Harry and Maya, "This is servant's stuff!"

Maya didn't respond, however Harry did, "If I didn't know better, Draco, I'd say you were scared!"

She held back a laugh, but it came out as an almost snort sound. Draco looked back at her, glanced around and spat, "I'm not scared, Potter!" there was a loud howling grunt sound and Draco, Harry, and Maya froze and whipped around. Draco lowered his voice, "Did you hear that?" when no one responded (not like he gave them much time to do so) Draco shook his head and led the way again, moving in front of Maya and Harry. As he passed Fang - who had stopped to wait for them - he said, "Come on, Fang." Draco marched ahead of them, muttering about not being scared.

"I've seen you hanging out with him a lot," Harry whispered to Maya out of nowhere, making sure that Draco couldn't hear, "you must've noticed how he acts?"

Maya felt her chest and throat tighten up like it often did in most social situations, "Hmm? W-well…yeah, I mean…h-he's —" Draco looked back at them, looking a bit hurt. He cast a look of jealousy at Harry and then looked ahead again. Maya sucked in a deep breath, "I…well…he was the first person I met here. We rode together on t-the train. I suppose I see a chance at a friendship, that's all." she glanced at Harry and thought, _Maybe if you hadn't been such a witty little jerk to him he might be a little nicer to you_. Instead of saying what she thought, she added to Harry in a more defensive way than she had intended, "At least I'm giving him a chance to be good. Something _you_ haven't done yet."

Harry almost looked impressed by her sudden outspokenness, but it would have appeared that he didn't have much else to say after that.

Soon after that, Maya and Harry had managed to keep up with Draco. Either that or he got a bit too nervous on his own and hung back with Harry, Fang, and Maya for safety. They reached a darker place in the forest where there were many large roots and a few large stones. As they rounded a corner in a clearing, Fang growled and Draco and Maya went rigid with terror. Harry didn't register until after he asked Fang what was wrong and saw his companions' expressions.

Lying in the clearing was a dead unicorn. Looming over its neck and biting its neck was the cloaked figure from earlier, which looked up and hissed, silver blood dripping from its mouth.

Draco let out a scream of terror and raced away in the direction they had come. _Scaredy cat…_ Maya thought, glancing towards him as he ran off. Harry was clutching his head as if he was in some sort of pain, but judging by his expression, he was.

The cloaked thing moved forward and Maya backed away, feeling her heel knock against something hard on the ground, she fell backwards with a thud and everything went black.

* * *

"You know, a concussion isn't going to get you out of exams. Madame Pomfrey healed you up." Carol told her from the other side of a curtain in the hospital as Maya changed into her school robes.

"Just because I'm all healed up doesn't mean my head doesn't hurt," Maya croaked out, her throat a bit dry, "I don't expect to get out of exams, Carol, I'm just in pain today, that's all."

"You were knocked out for a day an a half," Carol chuckled as Maya emerged and they started towards their first class, "I'm not surprised!"

Maya had indeed been knocked out for a day and a half. She had tripped and hit her head in the Forbidden Forest and woke up in the hospital wing with little to know memory of how she got there until Draco filled her in. Now, she had to worry about exams...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: The End of Year-One

"Did you hear about what happened to those three Gryffindors? Y'know, Harry Potter and his friends?"

"Man, I hear that Harry Potter was in the hospital after he fought _You-Know-Who_!"

"Harry Potter defeated You-Know-Who _again_?"

"Well, not _exactly_ , you see-"

Maya could hear a lot of wild stories about why a certain Harry Potter was in hospital wing. She didn't want to believe anything they were saying, but she did sympathize with Harry, even though he was in the hospital much longer than she had been and Maya hadn't even remembered her stay in the hospital. Weeks had passed since then, possibly even a few months.

Exams had come and gone, and Maya was pleased to learn she had passed with flying colors. Her best class had been Defense Against the Dark Arts, though she had learned that they were now in need of a new teacher for that class, because whatever had happened with Harry Potter had somehow killed Professor Quirrell, much to Maya's disappointment.

Quirrell had been lenient whenever he would ask her a question and she would stutter in answering it or get it wrong. Instead of calling her out in front of the class he would politely murmur the correct answer and she would rephrase it. It saved her a lot of embarrassment and he would sometimes tutor her on the weekends, stating that she showed quite a talent for the subject itself. Quirrell was quite possibly the only teacher who understood what it was like to be underestimated and judged by the way one talks, and Maya didn't want to know why or how he had died. The less she knew, the better off she was.

"Slytherin's winning the House Cup this year for sure…" Carol murmured miserably, flicking through the pages in her old schoolbooks, looking bored from where she was underneath the oak tree that Maya was in. "Ooooh weeelll, there's always next year, I suppose."

"Honestly, Manchester," scoffed a voice suddenly and Maya nearly slipped out of her branch, "it's probably because Slytherins aren't stupid enough to break rules all the time."

Maya slid out of the tree and landed, ready to playfully tell Draco off, but when she hit the ground, her confidence faded. Draco was flanked by his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, who likely knew that Maya was a Muggle-born. Judging by Draco's sneer and their looks of disgust, they probably did. "Well, well. The little tree-dwelling Mudblood is here!" Draco drawled, "What's the matter? Is your head still hurting from that little fall, Kensington? C'mon, Crabbe, Goyle. We should get to dinner now."

As they turned away Maya caught a flash of guilt in Draco's expression. Carol, Crabbe, and Goyle didn't notice it, but Maya had and she smiled slightly.

"I don't know why you're friends with that jerk." Carol shook her head. Maya didn't respond.

* * *

At dinner that evening, the Great Hall was decorated with green banners that had a snake on its' emblem and below them was Slytherin House's name.

After a while, Professor McGonnagall tapped her glass and got the attention of everyone as Dumbledore stood up. Once the talking faded to silence he announced, "Another year gone," he said, "and now as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding. And the points stand thus." Dumbledore paused for a moment and then continued, "In fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points." from across the Hall, Maya saw Draco smirk at the Gryffindor table, but Dumbledore went on after the weak applause died down, "In third place, Hufflepuff 352 points."

More weak applause and then it stop and Dumbledore went on once again, "In second place, Ravenclaw with 426 points." the applause was stronger this time, but Maya was having a hard time enjoying her House's second-place position due to a sick feeling in her gut. She pushed the instinct that something was wrong away as Dumbledore said, "And in first place with 472 points, Slytherin House!"

Slytherin's table erupted into cheers and applause that echoed through the hall. Draco caught Maya's eye and she joined in on the clapping, but meeting a sharp expression from a few people silence her and she felt as if she wasn't allowed to feel happy for her friend.

"Yes, yes," said Dumbledore casually, "well done Slytherin, well done Slytherin, _however_ ," everyone went silent and Maya's sick feeling returned as she listened to Dumbledore when he said, "recent event _must_ be taken into account and I have a few last-minute points to award." Gryffindor was now listening intently, "To Miss Hermione Granger for the cool use of intellect while others were in grave peril, 50 points."

Maya raised an eyebrow. Draco and a few other Slytherins looked disappointed and confused, Maya felt the same way they looked.

"Second, to Mr. Ronald Weasley for the best played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years. 50 points."

Applause. Again. Maya wrinkled her nose.

"And third to Mr. Harry Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor House 60 points." said Dumbledore.

Gryffindor was tied with Slytherin.

"And finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies. But a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award 10 points to Neville Longbottom."

Maya looked over at Draco, who looked a bit sad at this point. He probably thought the same thing Maya did: that this was unfair. It was like dangling a carrot in front of someone's face. What they wanted most was right in front of them, but in the end you take it away from them, even after they had worked hard to get the carrot.

Dumbledore smiled, ignoring the crestfallen expressions that Maya and the Slytherin's wore, and he finished by saying, "Assuming my calculations are correct, I believe that a change of decoration is in order." he clapped his hands and the Slytherin banners changed to Gryffindor ones, colored maroon and yellow. "Gryffindor wins the House Cup!"

Every table except Slytherin's cheered and threw their caps in the air. Maya didn't, disliking the amount of noise that there now was. She looked across the chaos and saw Draco rip his cap off his head and slam it on the table.

* * *

"Will I see you over the summer holidays?" Maya asked Carol as they waited to board the Hogwarts Express.

"No, we're spending the holidays in France." Carol said, "Ooops! I have a few last minute goodbyes, hang on! Save me a seat, will you?" and she bounced away.

Maya rolled her eyes, stroking Aspen and looking around, observing.

"Hey! Kensington!" Maya whipped around to see Draco strolling towards her. She looked around and he told her, "Don't worry, Crabbe and Goyle are…well…they're somewhere in that crowd, I'll find them later." he sounded bored and distracted, "Here, I made this for you." Draco pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her. It was a small velvet box. "Don't open it until you get on the train. I don't want you gushing your thanks everywhere or whatever…"

"Well…er…thank you? I'll decide just how grateful I am when I get on the train." Maya smirked and slipped it into her pocket.

"See you next year, Kensington." Draco told her, patting Aspen on the head and turning away.

"Bye, Draco." Maya called to him as he vanished back into the crowd.

A few moments later, Carol bounced back over to her, "Okay, Maya? Ready to go?"

"Hmm? Y-Yeah, yeah, let's go." Maya said.

There was an empty compartment with no-one in it and by the time the train started to move forward Maya and Carol had taken their seats.

After about an hour, Maya remembered her interaction with Draco and pulled the box from her pocket and opened it up. She pulled the small ribbon that was on it off and stuffed it into her other pocket before pushing the top of the velvet box up. There was a note and she recognized Draco's handwriting right away:

Decided to do something nice for you. Hope you like it, Kensington.

-Draco

Maya moved the note aside and revealed a beautiful necklace. The chain was silver and a small, shiny bronze pendant in the shape of a Pine Marten. The tiny gems that resembled eyes were two different colors, one was a vibrant emerald green, the other a beautiful, sapphire blue. _Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You clever little jerk_. Maya smirked to herself.

Carol saw the note and shook her head, "I don't know why you're still friends with that jerk." she said the same things a day ago.

"Oh, Carol," Maya fingered the necklace thoughtfully and looked out the window, "maybe he isn't all that bad after all."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six (Year Two): Back To School

Maya Kensington stuck out her lip in a half-hearted attempt at a pout as her mother fussed over her for what had to have been the ninth time that morning. "Muuuum!" Maya whined out, hoping she would stop. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case and instead only caused her mother to notice her daughter's face and hair and pull the hair-tie out of Maya's hair, move around so she was behind Maya, and eventually pulled Maya's dark brown hair into a ponytail (again).

After her mother had finished fussing over her hair, Maya was able to get away and tried to sound firm as she said, "I will be _late_ if we do not leave _now_ , Mother…"

"Yes, yes, I know, dear, it's just —" her mother let out a sigh, "— it's just so…unnerving to see you go off to a school and learn about…magic."

 _Are you scared of me and my abilities, or something?_ challenged a voice in the back of Maya's head, but Maya bit her lip to keep from saying this, which actually wasn't hard. Her mother turned around to tell Maya's father that they were ready to leave, and Maya pulled loose to strands of hair on either side of her face, slumped down into the chair in the corner of the hotel room they had stayed in recently, and began twisting one of the said loose strands of her hair thoughtfully.

There were three things that Maya was looking forward to this year: the school — Hogwarts — itself, her friend, Carol Manchester, and her…sort-of friend, Draco Malfoy. Why she looked forward to those things exactly? Well, Maya liked learning for one, even if it was magic that they were learning at Hogwarts. The school also was massive, and so Maya's pet — Aspen — would have a chance to get some real exercise until next summer. And that brought her to why she wanted to see her friends so badly. She probably wanted to see Carol because of the Hufflepuff's confidence. Carol was bright and optimistic enough for both of them, and it honestly helped Maya feel a bit safer in the presence of someone like that, in spite of how emotionally draining Maya found most people like that to be. As for Draco…well…why did Maya want to see him? Maya stopped twisting her hair and her fingers trailed down to the necklace that Draco had given her at the end of their first year, but her thoughts were cut short when —

"Come on, Maya, time to go."

* * *

Diagon Alley was where the students that attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry got all their supplies, as it was lined with many shops that Muggles would consider to sell 'unusual' items. However, said Muggles — _not_ including those that were parents to Muggle-born students, like Maya's parents were — knew nothing of Diagon Alley, nor could they access it. No, it was something only those connected to the wizarding world could see.

Maya reviewed the list of things she would need for that year as her and her parents left the bank at last after finishing up with converting their Muggle money into wizard currency.

"Who is Gilderoy Lockhart?" Maya couldn't help but blurt out to her parents, knowing very well that they of all people would have no idea whatsoever. "I have to buy…like…five million of his books!"

"Oh, darling," her mother snatched the list from her, "not five million, only seven!" Maya took the list back and blinked indignantly when her mother added with exasperation, "Maya…always _have_ been the dramatic one in the family, haven't you?" Maya looked at her feet and thought, _I was only joking_...

After they had bought Maya's new school robes and parchment and what-not, they headed to the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts, and found the place packed with dozens of witches and wizards. Trying to get inside was like pulling teeth. However, once they were inside, Maya found that all of the people were lined up to see the very person who's name was on the school list at least…seven times. Gilderoy Lockhart. though, judging by how the line currently wasn't moving — and by the currently empty booth/table at the back of the shop — Maya could see that Mr. Lockhart was currently not there.

However, Maya wasn't worried about Lockhart's absence from his stand — after all, she never even heard of him until that day — and her attention was soon taken away from the crowd, her anxiety about being in said crowd, and even her parents when a voice behind her drawled, "Back to school shopping, eh, Kensington?"

Maya whirled around and came face-to-face with Draco, overwhelmed by a sudden sense of joy at seeing the Slytherin boy again. "Draco! I was hoping I'd run into you…er…somewhere around here, I guess." there was an awkward pause as Draco smiled the tiniest bit. Maya cleared her throat, "So how was your…um…summer?"

"It was all right, I suppose," Draco shrugged and then straightened up proudly as he added, "Slytherin just might be getting a new Seeker this year."

"Seeker? L-like, on the Quidditch team?" Maya's stomach twisted in knots when he nodded. She wasn't really a fan of Quidditch, having been to a match before and finding the game to be a bit…too dangerous for her tastes, but then again, Maya never was one for sports, save for the occasional game of catch or chase with her older brothers and sister. Nevertheless, she grinned happily and told him as brightly as she could, "W-well, _wow_ , Draco, erm...good luck, I guess?"

His smile faded the tiniest bit, turning into slight disappointment, "Thanks."

"Uh, I was just going to look around at some of the books and get away from…most of this crowd, care to join me?" Maya held out her hand and after only a moment of hesitation and glancing around nervously, Draco took her hand and they walked up a rather small flight of stairs to where there were little to no, if any, people. From the edge of the railing on the second level, you could see over most of the store, which gave Maya a sense of security. There were no surprises if you could see everything all at once, which was only partly why Maya liked climbing trees so much. Draco leaned against the railing as Maya began to pick out and search for the books on her list. Without looking up from the pages of a book she was flicking through, she asked him quietly, but still so he could hear, "Say, Draco, do you know who Gilderoy Lockhart is?"

"What, you haven't picked out any of his books yet?" Maya shook her head and Draco, with sudden bitterness in his voice, stared coldly down at the table and nodded towards it, "...that's him…"

Maya took a few steps forward to the railing and followed Draco's gaze down to the table, which now held two occupants: a tall, blond main, who was talking to the crowd eagerly and the other person beside the man (who Maya assumed was Lockhart) was none other than Harry Potter, an apparently famous boy who went to school at Hogwarts. Maya could tell that the attention that Harry Potter was getting from the crowd and Lockhart had started to irk Draco. In fact, as soon as Lockhart handed Potter a stack of books (Lockhart's 'entire collected works'), Draco put on a furious scowl and clenched his fists. Maya awkwardly rested a hand on his shoulder to hopefully calm him down. For the most part, it worked. At least, for a while.

Draco moved away from the railing, told Maya, "…c'mon…" and went halfway down the staircase, picking up a book and reading a page from it. Maya watched him in confusion, but as soon as Potter and his gang began to move through the crowd and Draco saw them, Maya's expression changed to one of disbelief and fury when Draco looked around and then ripped a page from the book, dropping it on top of a stack of books and stuffing the page in his pocket before trotting down to where Potter was, ignoring Maya as she tried to stop him.

"Bet you liked that, didn't you, _Potter_?" Draco spat at Potter, "Famous _Harry_ _Potter_ , can't even go into a _bookshop_ without making the front page!"

A small eleven-year-old girl with long read hair, her face covered in soot, stepped forward with a determined and angry expression on her face, and told Draco as bravely as she could, "Leave him _alone_ …"

Draco grinned wickedly, "Oh, look, Potter! You've got yourself a girlfriend!"

Maya looked down at her feet as Potter and Weasley shot looks towards her for a moment, but she quickly managed to ignore them and looked up when a man behind Draco slapped a cane down on Draco's shoulder gently and moved him aside, "Now, now, Draco, play nicely." Draco was moved away and stood next to Maya, an annoyed and slightly concerned expression on his face as the man addressed Potter and his friends. The man in question had features similar to that of Draco, only his pale blond hair was longer than shoulder length and in order to keep it out of his eyes he had to tilt his head up slightly, looking down his nose at everyone and adding to his already snobby air and posture as he narrowed his eyes on Potter, allowing a small smile to tug at the corner of his lips, "Mr. Potter…" the smile faded and he held out his hand, introducing himself, "Lucius Malfoy."

Potter took his hand and Lucius Malfoy said smoothly, "...we meet at last…" Mr. Malfoy paused a moment and then yanked Potter forward, towards him, saying, "…Forgive me," as he lightly pushed Potter's head back, using the handle of his walking stick (or cane?) to move Potter's hair away from the boy's soot covered forehead and stared at the lightning shaped scar that Maya was only just now acknowledging for herself, and Mr. Malfoy lowered his voice, "your scar is legend, as of course is the wizard who gave it to you."

"Voldemort killed my parents," Potter nearly snarled the words out, and Maya looked down, but continued to listen with new interest, "he was nothing more than a murderer…"

"Hmmm…you must be very brave, to mention his name," Mr. Malfoy said calmly, yet his voice was icy and sent a very uncomfortable chill down her spine, "or very foolish." Maya tensed up, feeling more frightened and uncomfortable the more Mr. Malfoy spoke. It was as if thousands of icicles were being shot into her gut, simply because of how one person spoke. Draco picked up on this and scowled, but not before he gave her hand a brief, reassuring squeeze and moved the slightest bit closer to her.

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself," a new voice joined the conversation and Maya glanced up long enough to see that the voice belonged to Hermione Granger, a Gryffindor in the same year as Maya and Draco. Maya had never gotten to know Granger — nor did she want to, if she was being honest — but had seen the girl often. Granger was a Muggle-born, and likely every teacher's pet. She walked and spoke with such confidence that Maya found herself envying Granger at times.

Mr. Malfoy turned to Granger with a look of disbelief and curiosity, "And you must be Miss…Granger…?" Mr. Malfoy looked at Draco and Draco nodded to confirm that what Mr. Malfoy had said as correct, "...yes, Draco's told me all about you. And your parents. Muggles, aren't they?" Granger stared from her parents and back at Mr. Malfoy with a slightly annoyed expression.

By this point, Maya had grown tired of standing around and watch Mr. Malfoy speak to Potter and his friends, so she decided to gather the rest of her books and pay for them and then regroup with her parents, wherever they were right now in this crowd. She turned to Draco and said in a hushed voice, "Maybe I'll see you on the train? If not, then I'll see you at school."

"Okay, bye, Kensington."

* * *

"Mum, Dad, I'll be fine!" Maya tried to reassure her parents, hoping that nobody at King's Cross Station was staring at them. They did look a bit…suspicious, but it could have just been Maya's imagination. She often had a tendency to imagine that people were looking at her, when really they weren't. However, Maya could also tell when people were actually looking at her with a funny expression, and a few teenage girls were staring at her kind of funny.

"We don't like leaving you for so long, dear," her father said.

Maya huffed. _You seemed just fine without me last year, I'm sure you'll be fine this year_ , she thought, biting her lip to keep the sharp words inside her mind, instead deciding it would be best not to say anything as her mother brushed Maya's robes free of any dust and kissed her farewell.

"You be careful, all right? We'll be awaiting your letter, okay, Maya?" her mother said, and Maya nodded, steering her cart towards the brick pillar that served as the entrance to Platform Nine and Three Quarters and raced forwards, and before she knew it she was on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, her mother and father were no longer behind her, and in front of her was The Hogwarts Express; the train that would take her and the other students to Hogwarts.

Fighting her way through the crowd of loving parents bidding their children farewell, Maya was able to squeeze herself on board and searched for an open compartment. Luckily for her, she was able to find one empty and quickly got inside and shut the door, sighing with relief as silence rushed over her, the mindless chattering fading away into the background.

For the longest time Maya was alone, until the train began to chug forward and people were filling those compartments that were half-full or had one or two people in them. Eventually, though, Maya's friend from last year, Carol, showed up and stepped inside, sitting down across from Maya, setting the cage that held her owl next to the crate that Maya's pet, Aspen was in.

"Hello, Maya," Carol chirped, "it's nice to see you again. Did you enjoy your holidays?"

Maya nodded, "What about you?"

"Oh! It was amazing! We had a great time!" Carol said, and began to talk Maya's ear off, telling her everything about their family's trip that summer. Maya nodded, saying 'oh, cool' or 'wow', every now and then, but Maya really would have rather read or looked out the window in silence. Carol finished by asking, "So, what did your family do?"

"Hmm? Oh…erm…we spent two weeks with my grandparents and then the rest of the summer was spent…just…relaxing at home." Maya rested her head against the wall and watched out the window at the scenery that flashed by, Carol was occupying most of her time by humming songs to herself and flicking through her school books curiously. Things were quiet for a while, until Maya thought she saw a flying car outside, twisting about, but she figured it was just her imagination. Or that flying cars in the wizarding world were completely normal. However, once the car vanished from Maya's view, she decided to ask Carol about it, "C-Carol, out of curiosity, are flying cars…um…normal?"

"What? As far as I've seen, well…no," Carol said, looking at nothing in particular with an expression of bewilderment, "why do you ask?"

"Oh, n-no reason. Just curious."

* * *

Maya watched the Sorting Ceremony, with little to no interest, in reality only thinking about the new school year, thinking about life, and day-dreaming, looking up every now and then to get a good look at the first-years that were sorted into Ravenclaw. The only name she could remember out of those was Luna Lovegood, but that was only because the girl had taken a seat across from Maya and had politely introduced herself to the second-year and fourth-year students sitting next to her and talked to them about some sort of strange creatures, or something like that, though Maya didn't remember. By this point she had lost interest and didn't care to eavesdrop on the conversation any longer.

Dumbledore introduced everyone to their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart. Apparently that's why they had to buy so many of his books. Maya didn't fully understand why all of the girls were so excited about him being there, but maybe it was just because he was new and she hadn't given him a fair chance, or read any of his books.

After dinner, things went as expected. The Ravenclaw prefects guided them up the spiral staircase to Ravenclaw Tower and they went inside to their dormitories and to bed after that.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven (Year Two): The First Week of the Second Year

The next morning, on her way to Herbology class, Maya tried to take the moment between the class to speak with Draco, but his two body guards, Crabbe and Goyle, made that an impossible task, so Maya stuck to walking — and _very_ occasionally _talking_ — with Carol and two of her friends. They really were just chatting about their summers, a subject which Maya had nothing to add to.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the greenhouse they were to be working in and Maya broke off from Carol and her friends to stand beside Draco — or rather, stand beside Goyle, who was standing beside Draco. It wasn't as if she really cared where she stood for the class, but she felt a little less nervous in large groups if she was near someone she trusted. Draco gave her a small smile when he took notice of her, and she returned the smile shyly.

"Morning, everyone," said Professor Sprout, their Herbology teacher, as she flexed her fingers after pulling on a pair of gloves. When the students didn't say anything in return and kept chatting amongst themselves, she repeated, this time louder, "Good morning, everyone."

This finally got her a response, "Good morning, Professor Sprout."

"Welcome to Greenhouse Three, second-years," Professor Sprout said brightly, "now, gather round, everyone. Today, we're going to re-pot Mandrakes," she announced, picking up a pot behind her and bringing it over to a table at the end of the row with the plants on it, "who here can tell me the properties of the Mandrake root?" Maya saw Hermione Granger's hand shoot up and Professor Sprout asked, "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Mandrake — or Mandragora — is used to return those who have been petrified to their original state," Granger said, sounding as if she was quoting the textbook from heart, she continued when Professor Sprout nodded slightly, "it's also quite dangerous; the Mandrake's cry is fatal to anyone who hears it."

"Excellent, ten points to Gryffindor!" Professor Sprout smiled.

Weasley and Potter exchanged very happy looks and Draco scowled at them, his eyes looking icy. Maya looked at Draco and then at Granger, Potter, and Weasley with a disapproving glare. This constant rivalry they were always in was absolutely infuriating sometimes.

"Now, as our Mandrakes are still only seedlings, their cries won't kill you yet," Maya gulped at the word 'yet', "but they could knock you out for several hours which is why I've given each of you a pair earmuffs for auditory protection, so could you please put them on right away, quickly," everyone reached for the fuzzy grey earmuffs that were in front of them and pulled them over their ears, making sure that they were safely over their ears. Maya double-checked hers, not wanting to miss the first day of school.

"Flaps tight down," said Professor Sprout, patting her own earmuffs, "and watch me closely. You grasp your Mandrake firmly," Professor Sprout grabbed the green leaves in her pot and Maya tilted her head, watching and listening intently, curious as to what exactly a Mandrake looked like, "you pull it sharply up out of the pot," Maya gasped as the professor yanked on the green leaves and held up a root, only this root was screaming and had strange eyes and what appeared to be a mouth. It was pitiful and covered in dirt, and Maya — like many other students in the class — reached up with her hands and made sure her earmuffs were secure, but she was still able to listen as the teacher continued.

"Got it, and," Professor Sprout moved the screaming root over to the empty pot beside her, "now you dunk it down in the other pot, and pour a little sprinkling of soil to keep him warm."

A boy from Gryffindor suddenly looked very ill. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he gave a weak moan before he fell backwards. All eyes looked towards where his body had landed.

Professor Sprout sighed, "Longbottom's been neglecting his earmuffs…" Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle looked very smug at this, and Maya wanted to slap each of them, but easily resisted the urge.

"No, ma'am," said another Gryffindor boy with a thick accent, "he's just fainted."

"Yes, well, just leave him there," said Professor Sprout nonchalantly, "right, on we go. Plenty of pots to go around," she told them, "grasp your Mandrake, and pull it up."

The class simultaneously pulled up the screaming roots, a few students looking very disturbed by the Mandrakes that they were holding. Weasley especially. Draco began to tickle his Mandrake under the chin with his index finger, looking amused. That was, however, until the Mandrake's mouth closed right on his finger. Draco yanked his finger from its mouth, but not without a little bit of effort. Maya had a hard time not grinning as Draco's happy expression quickly changed to a sour one as he hurriedly dunked the Mandrake in its new pot. He caught her grinning, "And what's so funny, Kensington?"

Maya shook her head, now chuckling and placed her Mandrake in the other pot, putting some soil over it as Professor Sprout had done, "Nothing, nothing. It's just…you were so great with them. When did you realize you had this special bond with the Mandrakes? This…this soul connection with them?"

Draco smirked, reaching past Goyle and giving Maya a playful shove, "Oh, shut up, Kensington."

* * *

At lunch, things got slightly more interesting interesting. The previous night, Maya had noticed that Potter and Weasley had been absent from the Gryffindor table at dinner, and today she had found out why, in the form of a screaming letter.

A rather scrawny, awkward, and wobbly owl came flying into the Great Hall and crashed into the Gryffindor table, landing on its back. Maya felt bad for the poor thing, but when she caught sight of Draco across the hall at the Slytherin table, he and his 'friends' were grinning and pointing. She wrinkled her nose at this and went back to eating, until she heard a loud shrieking voice that made her jump, "RONALD WEASLEY!"

It wasn't as if the shout had been for her, but it was still a curious and shocking thing, to see a letter talking — no, _screaming_ at someone. Screaming letters, moving pictures (and paintings)…at this point, nothing could surprise Maya. _Nothing_.

Maya listened to the letter screaming, only picking out a few major parts in it: something about being ashamed of Weasley, a flying car, stepping another toe out of line, and someone named Ginny being sorted into Gryffindor. Maya finally understood what the whole deal with the flying car was, though she didn't understand why whoever it was that sent the letter (likely Weasley's mother) was so furious about all this. Was it just because Weasley wasn't old enough to drive a car, yet? Did wizards even need or use cars?

At the Slytherin table, Draco was now laughing, much to Maya's annoyance. What was so funny about someone being humiliated in front of an entire school? Maya instinctively reached for the necklace Draco had given her at the end of their first year, and began to twist the pendant thoughtfully, scowling at Draco, even though she doubted that he could see her.

Why did he insist on being so difficult and rude to others?

* * *

Defense Against the Dark Arts had been Maya's best class the previous year, but as soon as their new teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart started teaching? She began to fail. It was awful. Lockhart was so vain, it was like he stared at himself in the mirror everyday and had memorized what he looked like so that he could strut around, secure with the knowledge that his looks couldn't be matched by a single wizard alive. _Gross_.

Maya had been extremely disappointed by the first lesson, figuring out that the teacher was absolutely useless almost immediately. It wasn't hard to see that, though, but most of the female students were absolutely _smitten_ by the guy. Maya was not.

His lesson had started out strangely. He came out and said in a silky voice that seemed to be trying to hypnotize the students, "Let me introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," he paused and then flashed a smile, "me. Gilderoy Lockhart. Order of Merlin, Third Class," he told them as he marched down a staircase, "honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League," he paused beside a portrait of himself (painting a portrait of himself) and went on, "and five time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award," he came forward a few more steps so he was leaning on his desk, "but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at him." Lockhart flashed another smile, this time showing his white teeth. Maya wrinkled her nose. What…?

"Now, be warned," he said suddenly, and quite dramatically too, "it is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind." Lockhart tapped a cage that he had covered up with his wand and the cage began to shake aggressively. "You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room," Maya looked around the room for anybody she knew. Amelia and Samantha, two of Maya's fellow Ravenclaws, looked a bit frightened, Carol looked as if she was trying to figure out what was in the cage, and Draco looked worried and maybe even a bit scared.

Lockhart went on, regardless of his students' fearful expressions, "Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here," he raised his hand over the cage and once again continued dramatically, "I must ask you not to scream…it might provoke them!" he yanked the red blanket off of the cage and revealed that it was full of a bunch of tiny blue screaming…things. Maya had no clue what they were, actually, having not really been too familiar with animals and creatures in the wizarding world.

"Cornish pixies?" asked the Gryffindor boy with the accent, a faint chuckle in his voice and a wide grin.

Draco held back a smirk, looking around the room for the others' expressions.

"Freshly caught Cornish pixies," said Lockhart, almost with a hint of pride in his voice, the Gryffindor boy was not impressed and only laughed, as did several other boys in the class, "laugh if you will, Mr. Finnegan, but pixies can be devilishly tricky little blighters." Lockhart reached down to the door on the cage and smirked, "Let's see what you make of them." he opened the door and out flew the squealing blue creatures.

Chaos. That was the only word that could really describe the moments after that. The pixies flew at the class, causing everyone to panic and scream, jumping and swatting to try and get away from them. The Gryffindor, Neville Longbottom, had been picked up by his ears and hung on the metal object that hung from the ceiling in the classroom. The rest of the class scattered, managing to make it to the door. Maya, however, was not so lucky and instead raced to the opposite end of the room, hiding underneath the staircase, the only one in the room aside from four Gryffindors (Longbottom, Potter, Weasley, and Granger) now that Lockhart had retreated and told Potter and his friends to deal with the pixies.

It was Granger who had saved the day, pointing her wand in the air at the pixies and screaming, "Immobulus!" the pixies went frozen and now floated around the room like they were in space.

Maya let out a sigh of relief and got up and out from under the stairs, not saying a word to the Gryffindors, and instead choosing to quickly exist the classroom. Outside, the rest of the class was talking about the lesson. A few girls were too in love with Lockhart's smile to really care about the chaos, and Draco and his Slytherins were a bit…indifferent on the subject. Maya leaned against the wall and listened, deciding that Lockhart was a useless teacher right then and there.

He couldn't even do something that a second-year was able to do without putting much thought into it.

* * *

Several days had passed by, and Maya had still been failing Defense Against the Dark Arts, which was something she had been absolutely furious about, yet she had no one to rant this frustration to. Carol had been busy after classes lately, and Draco had been avoiding her like the plague. She hadn't really seen much of him outside of classes, but even then their time was limited and it wasn't as if they could talk in those classes.

Saturday morning changed that. For the most part.

Maya had taken Aspen out for the first time that entire week, letting the little marten race around and play in the grass, though Maya stayed close by, holding on to a lead she had for Aspen and racing around with her. So far, the grounds were empty, save for Weasley and Granger, who appeared to be interested in a book of some sorts, but they didn't pay attention to Maya or Aspen.

Aspen curled up next to Maya on one of the stone benches, while Maya searched through her bag and pulled out one of Lockhart's books, cringing at the name and title and she began to read it. A few minutes later, the Gryffindor Quidditch team came strolling outside, brooms gripped in their hands, but at the same time the Slytherin team showed up. Maya didn't pay attention until a minute later, when she heard Potter say in disbelief, "Malfoy?" Maya looked up and saw that Draco was wearing Slytherin Quidditch robes and held a broom in his hands.

"That's right. And that's not all that's new this year," Draco moved his broom to his other arm, leaning it against his shoulder so they all had a clear view. The rest of the Slytherin team had matching brooms. Maya set Aspen on her shoulder and wandered over, standing next to the two teams.

"Those are Nimbus 2001s!" gasped out Weasley, "How did you get those?"

"A gift from Draco's father," said the Slytherin team captain.

"You see, Weasley, unlike _some_ , my father can afford the best," Draco said snidely.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Granger, "they got in on pure talent."

Draco's smirk faded and he now moved to stand directly in front of Granger, "No one asked _your_ opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."

Maya clenched her fists, catching Granger's hurt expression. Weasley pointed his wand at Draco, telling him he would pay, however, whatever spell Weasley was trying to use backfired, and the red-haired boy went flying backwards, not saying anything for a while. When he did open his mouth to say something, he barfed up several slugs, making Maya wrinkle her nose in disgust. Draco turned to see her, and something that resembled guilt flashed in his eyes. He was about to say something, but Maya quickly turned and walked away, wanting nothing to do with him, now.

No, not after that.


	8. Chapter 8

-Author's Note-

So, this chapter will be from Draco's point of view, thanks to a review from Peppei. I decided I would try and explain his point of views and feelings and why he had decided to befriend Maya in the first place, as well as a little bit of what goes through his head when he's talking to her. I was planning on holding a chapter like this off until year four or five, but I might as well start introducing his viewpoints now that the Muggle-born attacks will be starting.

Maybe we might see more of Draco's perspective in future chapters/years? What do you guys think?

Hopefully Draco is more in-character in this chapter? Please, let me know!

Well, enough of my babbling. Hope ya'll enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Eight (Year Two): I'll Try

She had been ignoring him for weeks. On the now rare occasions that they bumped into each other, she wouldn't talk to him, she wouldn't look at him, she acted as if he didn't exist. Draco was not used to being ignored, and so far he didn't like it. Their first meeting he had been intrigued by her. Kensington was quiet, rather than mouthy, shy rather than outgoing, even a bit fearful of those around her. He had seen her as a challenge, but she was also a Mudblood. And at one point she had been a liar. True, her family had been the ones to lie to her, for a reason that Draco had yet to figure out, but still, the facts remained. Crabbe and Goyle had told him to forget about trying to befriend a Mudblood ("there's nothing good about them"), though they had yet to learn that he had already succeeded in befriending her. Hanging on to the fragile friendship was the hard part.

Draco had been raised by his mother and father under the belief that Pure-bloods were superior, and quite frankly, they were. Kensington was proof of that. She was naive to the ways of the wizarding world, and her lack of confidence barely helped her with learning. At first Draco thought that she wasn't worth his time, just another worthless Mudblood. But, she had stood her ground in their first year, with nobody to back her up. Kensington's lack of knowledge of this world also meant a lack of knowledge on the subject of blood purity and family status. Draco could tell that because of her upbringing, she couldn't care less about the last name Malfoy. Draco was just another student, seen as equal in her eyes. Nobody had treated him like that. He always had his 'friends' wrapped around his finger, practically worshiping the ground he walked on simply because he was a Malfoy.

Her quietness and gentleness conflicted with his loudness and brashness. Kensington didn't assert herself, she let others do what they wanted until she reached a breaking point.

The reason he was so interested in this…this muggle-born, was because he wanted to see if there was more to her than what he had discovered already. What was she like underneath that mask? Did he want to find out?

There had to have been more to her than the outer shell, and he was going to find what she was like.

* * *

Halloween had come soon enough, and the usual celebration commenced. Sweets lined the tables and the ceiling was a dark blue that resembled a stormy night sky. Everything was normal, except for the fact that Kensington still refused to speak to him. Oh, well, her loss. He had no need to worry what the Mudblood thought of him or how much she chose to ignore him.

Still, he couldn't help but look across the Hall where the Ravenclaw table was. His grey eyes scanned the table until he found her. Kensington looked depressed, for the most part, picking lazily at her food with her fork. She seemed to sense him staring at her and looked up, a defiant glint visible in her eyes even from across the hall. The two held each other's sharp gazes, as if neither one wanted to admit defeat and drop their staring contest. In the end, Draco was the first to give in and look back to his plate, glancing up without lifting his head and catching her triumphant smirk.

"Draco," Pansy's voice startled him from his thoughts and he glanced up questioningly, raising an eyebrow as Pansy asked, "why are you making such weird faces all of a sudden?"

"No reason," he replied with a shrug, unaware that he had been making faces at all. Curse that Mudblood...

After dinnertime was when things got interesting. The students had been dismissed and were heading back to their Houses for the night, Draco strutting ahead of the Slytherins, when he suddenly came to a halt, as did the other students. On the wall, written in a bright, scarlet red, were the words 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir…beware', and hanging from one of the lights by her tail, was Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat. For a moment Draco felt confusion, but it quickly welled to excitement as he saw who was standing directly underneath the cat. Harry Potter.

"'Enemies of the heir beware'?" Draco scoffed, then shot a glare towards Granger and the other Gryffindors, "You'll be next, Mudbloods."

Granger returned his glare, but before any further insults could ensue, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, came through the crowd of children, shouting, "What's going on 'ere? Go on, make way, make way!" Filch looked down at Potter, "Potter? What are you —" Draco couldn't help but find the new chaos and tension a bit satisfying after a dull first few weeks, and seeing the squib that worked at Hogwarts angry at Potter? Surely things couldn't get better than this. Filch's eyes drifted up and locked onto his stiff, hanging cat, her mouth opened as if she had been yowling. "…Mrs. Norris?" Filch sounded as if he was tearing up.

Next to him, Draco heard a sudden, very sharp intake of breath and realized that Kensington had come up next to him and saw the cat. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were wide and glossy with what looked like tears, her own pet — Aspen — likely back up in Ravenclaw Tower. Draco almost reached out to comfort Kensington, but remembered Crabbe and Goyle and instead chose to focus on Filch again.

Potter looked horrified as Filch looked back down at him again and said coldly, "You…murdered my cat." Potter shook his head, his mouth hanging open as he murmured, 'no' to Filch. Draco smirked, looking at Crabbe and Goyle, who were chuckling slightly as Filch continued, "I'll kill ya," he reached forward and grabbed Potter by his robes, raising his voice to a distressed shout of fury, "I'LL KILL YA!"

"Argus!" came Professor Dumbledore's shout, and Draco and the others cleared a path for the old headmaster and the other professors, watching them with curious eyes as Dumbledore softly told Filch, "Stand aside." Dumbledore stared at the writing and at the cat for a moment and then announced, "Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately," he paused and pointed at Potter, Granger, and Weasley, "all except you three."

Then they began to move away from the petrified cat and the words written in blood on the wall. Just as a prefect ordered the Ravenclaws to follow him, Draco caught the expression on Kensington's face. Fear, anxiety, sadness. Her face had turned a chalky white color and she looked as if she was going to be sick. He noticed that she looked around in every direction except towards the cat, and Draco felt a pang of sympathy that he quickly tried to suppress, hoping it didn't creep into his eyes.

Draco walked between Crabbe and Goyle on their way back to the Slytherin common room, the whole time wondering if Kensington was in the process of having a nervous breakdown. And each time he worried about her, a sinister cold voice said in the back of his head, She's a weak little Mudblood...

* * *

"Come on, you stubborn, stupid Hufflepuff, just tell me where she is!"

Draco had been arguing for at least five minutes with Kensington's Hufflepuff guard-dog. It was getting him nowhere. He had looked everywhere for Kensington, wanting to see if she was okay, and he had come to the library in hopes of finding her, but instead found her snappy little friend, Carol Manchester, who was as stubborn as he was. She refused to tell him a thing, and Draco found that his more compassionate side (that had ended him there in the first place) was starting to be buried again and his patience began to fade away.

"No," Manchester said simply, crossing her arms, "and keep your voice down, Malfoy, we're in the library."

"Listen," Draco decided to try and reason with her, "will you please tell me where you saw her last? It wouldn't mean she's there now, but it would…give me a clue…?"

Manchester didn't look convinced, "You expect me to buy that? If I tell you where she is, there's the chance that you're lying and you'll just make fun of her because she's Muggle-born, and I'm not going to let you do that, I'm sorry." she turned back to the bookshelves and began to search for something, adding to Draco without looking at him, "Oh, and you called me a 'stupid Hufflepuff'. Not exactly the best sweet-talking skills. You should work on that next time."

"Ugh…" Draco pinched the bridge of his nose, "…never mind, I give up. Have a nice rest of your day, I suppose." he turned to leave, trying to look more dejected than he actually was.

"Wait," Manchester said suddenly, pausing. She didn't look at him, instead looking at one of the desks, "why do you want to talk to her?"

"I just wanted…to know why she's been so upset with me lately, maybe even apologize," he admitted cautiously.

"I'll take you to her," she sighed, then shook a finger at him like a mother scolding her child, "but if one nasty thing comes out of your mouth…well…let's just say the detention would be worth it." Manchester then quietly led him out of the library and onto the school grounds. Draco half expected her to stop at the bottom of the oak tree that Kensington usually climbed, and was about to tell Manchester that he'd already checked there, but she kept walking, not even glancing at the tree. Eventually they stopped at a rather tall tree and Manchester pointed up, "If you want to talk to her, you're going to have to climb up there."

Draco looked up and gulped. Kensington had taught him how to climb a tree in their first year, something he had only agreed to because she had offered to share something with him, something that she found fun. Nobody had offered to do that before, and he thought it might be fun to learn. But he had never climbed a tree this tall before. Maybe he could go back inside and grab his broom and just climb up there and...

"Scared?"

His nostrils flared, "No." Draco frowned, grabbing hold of the nearest branch and using his feet to help him onto it. "Hopefully I won't see you later, Hufflepuff," he called down to her, reaching for a few more branches. Manchester rolled her eyes and leaned against the tree. Now that Draco was up here, it wasn't really that high up, and it just looked that way from the ground.

He continued to scramble from branch to branch, reaching out for a suspiciously thin looking one until a familiar voice told him, "…I wouldn't use that one if I were you, Draco. It'll break under that much weight. No offense meant towards you, of course, considering it probably couldn't hold the weight of a feather in that kind of sickly state…"

"Kensington!" Draco huffed out, "I've been looking for you all week!"

"Yes, in case you haven't noticed, it's been at least…what, two or three months since we've actually spoken to each other?" Kensington murmured quietly and in a unusual and dangerously icy voice.

"What's been eating you lately?"

"Oh, nothing much," she said, fiddling with a twig, "just my fellow, filthy little Mudbloods."

"What?"

A crisp snap filled the air as Kensington broke the twig she had in half and glared at him, "'You'll be next, Mudbloods'? I honestly don't know what is wrong with you. First I'm your friend, then I'm a Mudblood liar, then I'm your friend, then I'm a Mudblood again? This is becoming tiring Draco — or do you prefer Malfoy? Or perhaps the Pureblood Prince?"

Draco blinked indignantly. He had never heard Kensington this…furious, before. If he was being honest, it was rare that anybody heard Kensington talk at all. He thought for a moment, not really choosing his words carefully (or did he?), and there was a twinge of anger in his voice as he snapped, "I was talking about Granger, not you. Stop being such a sensitive crybaby for a minute and listen."

Kensington's mouth promptly snapped shut, her scowl changing to an unreadable look, but he figured that she didn't have a very difficult time putting a mask on, being quiet, and listening, considering how often she did those two things. However, once he had an audience he realized he had nothing to say to her. No sharp comment, no witty remark on how not everything was about her. Honestly, it wouldn't really apply. Kensington had never acted like it was all about her, and Draco wondered if she even cared about being the center of attention, but given her quiet demeanor, he doubted that she did. "I'm sorry, okay?"

When Draco said nothing more after that, Maya let out a soft sigh, "I'll start talking with you again and…trying to improve our friendship…if you'll try and avoid making 'Mudblood' comments, at least when I'm around."

"Fine. I'll try."

Part of Draco wondered just how empty that promise was, and if he would actually honor the agreement. Draco narrowed his eyes, seeing the new determination, trust, and loyalty that swirled in her eyes. He let out a sigh of what could be considered defeat, two sides of his personality clashing against each other as he stringed together the last two words that entered his head, "I'll try."


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note-

I changed my username. It used to be SouthernShiba and now it's MontanaMarten. My profile explains why it changed. Sorta.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Nine (Year Two): A Conversation During Quidditch

Maya and Draco had been on good terms since the weekend came. Draco had refrained from making a comment about 'mudbloods' around her and the two of them started a secret friendship. He had told her that secret would have been better, just because Crabbe and Goyle were well aware of her Muggle-born status. That didn't mean Maya had to like it, but Draco had explained what would happen if their friendship was discovered by certain people and what it would mean for Draco's status. So, she kept it a secret, for her friend's sake. The only person who knew was Carol, who was Maya's close friend, and a loyal ally.

"I still don't think he's that good a person," Carol had told Maya, "but I'm not going to choose your friends for you. Hang out with whomever you like, I can't and I won't stop you."

However, there was still a bit of nervousness and excitement throughout the school that started to make Maya anxious. Mr. Filch's cat had been petrified by something terrible, and the teachers were all very worried, though they tried their very best to hide it from the students. Some of them — mainly the more hyper first and second years — had become very excited by the idea of something this 'exciting', however the others, such as Maya, had quickly picked up on the threat and danger that had now surfaced. Draco's words kept ringing in Maya's head, 'you'll be next, Mudbloods,'. Surely he knew something about this, though Maya doubted it.

Draco was probably just trying to stir up fear and chaos, which he seemed to enjoy doing. Still...

Maya's thoughts were interrupted by Carol nudging her suddenly and Professor McGonnagall saying, "Could I have your attention please?", and Maya suddenly realized she was in class. Had she missed anything important? "Right. Now, today, we will be transforming animals…" McGonnagall paused, "…into water goblets. Like so."

Professor McGonnagall took her wand and pointed it at the toucan on a perch by her desk, "One. Two. Three. _Vera Verto_ ," she said as she tapped at bird, not touching it, though, with her wand. There was a faint whooshing noise, the squawk of the bird, and the toucan turned a silver color before swirling into the shape of a…well, a water goblet. Everyone gasped, looking genuinely impressed. Maya was eager to try it out. McGonnagall stepped away and looked out at the class, "Now it's your turn. Who would like to go first?" she scanned the room and picked the first person she saw, "Mr. Weasley. "One, two, three. _Vera Verto_.""

Weasley nodded and cleared his throat, taking his wand — which had snapped and was being held together by tape — and he pointed it at the rat that was on the desk and, not touching the rat, same as Professor McGonnagall had done, and said, "Vera Verto!" the rat began to squeak as it transformed into a fuzzy goblet with a bald tail. It wasn't the most attractive sight.

A couple of students giggled and chuckled. Weasley only picked up what used to be his rat and grimaced as McGonnagall told him, "That wand needs replacing, Mr. Weasley," it was then that Hermione Granger's hand shot into the air and McGonnagall paused, "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Professor…" Granger began, "…I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets." Several students seemed confused by this, even Draco, who looked at the Professor with a furrowed brow.

McGonnagall froze and looked at her class, everyone looking at her expectantly, awaiting the answer. Maya would have been lying had she said that she herself didn't want to know. "Very well." sighed McGonnagall as she decided to tell them, "You all know, of course…that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago, by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Now, three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously. One did not." Maya listened intently, wondering who it was that didn't 'coexist' with the others. Her mind went to Gryffindor or Slytherin first and it seemed that it was the latter of the two. "Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts."

"He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, pure-bloods." Maya and Carol instinctively looked towards Draco, who had sent a cold glare at Granger, which she returned as McGonnagall continued, "Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. Now, according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle, known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though, shortly before departing, he sealed it…until that time when his own true heir returned to the school. The Heir alone would be able to open the Chamber and unleash the horror within, and by so doing," McGonnagall paused for a breath, "purge the school of all those who — in Slytherin's view — were unworthy to study magic."

"Muggle-borns," Granger said sadly, and Maya saw Professor McGonnagall nod.

"Well. Naturally the school has been searched many times. No such chamber has been found."

"Professor?" Granger asked again, "What exactly does legend tell us lies within the Chamber?"

"The Chamber is said to be home to something that only the Heir of Slytherin can control. It is said to be the home…" she paused briefly before finishing, "…of a monster." Weasley, upon hearing this, had turned to look at Draco, his expression one of terror. Maya couldn't see Draco's expression, but could tell that it hadn't helped Weasley feel better.

* * *

"So, if the Chamber actually _does_ exist, and if it _has_ in fact been opened," Carol said as they left class, "then…doesn't that mean that all of the Muggle-borns are in danger? And…doesn't that also mean that the Heir of Slytherin is in the school?"

"I'd guess so," Maya shrugged, "but any ideas who it could be? And, I think it would have to be a first or second year, otherwise something would have happened last year, or any year before that. No Muggle-borns would have even been here, at least, they wouldn't have been safe here, by the time _we_ turned eleven. It would also have to be a Pureblood or Half-Blood. I doubt there's even such a thing as a Muggle-born Slytherin, what with the way they behave towards us."

"A first or second year and a Pureblood or Half-Blood? Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Malfoy…erm…? I don't even know of any Half-bloods…"

"Neither do I," Maya admitted, "but, you think Draco could be the Heir of Slytherin?"

"Yes," Carol nodded, "all of the Slytherins are possibilities, actually, but my bet is Malfoy. Heck, he might only be friends with you because he's trying to trap you or something."

Maya swallowed, eyeing Draco as he marched down the hall with Crabbe and Goyle. "It would make sense, I-I guess, but…you know how boastful he is. Wouldn't he be bragging about this? Or look even…well…happier than he...normally does?"

"Possibly," Carol looked thoughtful, "still…you never know. I'd be careful if I were you Maya. My parents tell me that Slytherins are quite nasty sometimes. I wouldn't trust them if you _paid_ me to do it."

* * *

"I hate Quidditch," Maya frowned, pulling out a book she had brought from home, not taking much notice of the match. The weather had started to get chillier, and the first Quidditch match just had to be today, when Maya had planned on playing with Aspen in the trees, since they had started to turn crisp shades of red, brown, gold, and yellow. They looked quite lovely, and they looked even lovelier when you were up in the branches, however, the staff of Hogwarts had started keeping close tabs on most of — if not all of — the Muggle-borns in the school, which didn't help Maya much at all.

"What's so bad about Quidditch?" asked Carol, who was bouncing up and down happily, cheering on Gryffindor, "I mean, it's so much fun! I wish I was on the Hufflepuff team…I think I'd be a great Chaser, maybe even a good Seeker! Too bad I won't be joining the team…"

"Why not?" Maya asked, reading her book, unamused by the match.

"Well, my family has never been the most supportive of athleticism with the girls in the family. The boys? Yes, absolutely, but the girls on my mother's side of the family have all been extremely…well, a bit dainty. But, I would play Quidditch with my cousins and brother all the time, but they never allowed me to…well…actually pursue it as a hobby."

"I think you should try out," Maya told her, "it isn't up to them, after all. Do what you want to do, not what everyone else wants you to do."

"I'm worried they'll be upset," Carol confessed, "that's what kept me from trying out at the start of this year." she glanced over at the Quidditch pitch as Slytherin scored (again) and then back at Maya, looking as if she was desperate for her friend's help.

"The only thing I can tell you is to go for it," she told her without taking her eyes up from her book, "and do your best. I'm sure you won't regret it, in the end."

"But," Carol glanced out at the pitch, watching Potter and Draco, who were now racing after the snitch, "what if I'm not good enough?"

"At least you can say you tried," Maya said, grimacing as she saw Draco's broom snag on one of the wooden beams above the ditch and he went flying off of it, landing on his back with a pained expression. "Well, he'll be whining about that later…looked like it hurt."

"Probably did. C'mon, it looks like Potter got hurt."


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note-

So, in this chapter I reveal Maya's family's point of view. At least, her mother.

Year two is almost over, which I am glad, because Maya's personality doesn't start to really develop until her third and fourth years. Also, sorry the last few chapters have been so short. A longer one is coming up.

* * *

Chapter Ten (Year Two): The Holidays

It was strange, having a daughter who was a witch. Josephine Kensington had been perfectly content with having four very normal children, but when Maya was born there was that…that intuition that a mother has, and something in the back of Josephine's mind said that Maya was different. Maya was the youngest child, the independent, shy, quiet one, even from birth. Maya had been gifted with a sense of calm, the child had always been that way, and Josephine often wondered what went on in her daughter's head.

But, Maya was destined to be the restless child in the family, yearning for something more than she had. Maya had to know everything about everything, and they had suspected all along that she would go far. Then, her powers started to show. Maya did things, things she didn't mean to do. Maya had once, when she was eight, caused a hairbrush to crumple to ashes in Josephine's hand when she had been brushing Maya's hair, which Maya had not liked one bit. Maya's hair grew quicker than normal, she had this strange connection with animals. The child was odd. Josephine had never knew why.

And then, her mother's neighbor, Mrs. Bishop, had come over with a Professor McGonnagall one day and explained everything to two very worried parents. Josephine had made up a lie — wanting her daughter to feel as if she was no different from her family — and told Maya that magic ran in the family, that even Josephine herself had attended Hogwarts, but Maya had figured out the truth before she was even halfway through her first year.

Christmas Holidays last year had been narrowly avoided, wanting to let this all sink in, but the absence of their beloved daughter had been too much for Josephine, and her husband had given in and said that Maya was allowed for Christmas.

So, here they were. Sitting around the Living Room, by a cozy fire. Maya hadn't had much to say, but Josephine filled her in on all of the things that had happened since Maya had been gone. Maya didn't seem to be listening. "Is something troubling you, darling?"

"Hmm…what…?" Maya stared into the fire, having responded very quietly, stirring her hot cocoa very slowly and distractedly, not taking her eyes off the fire.

"I asked if there was something wrong?" Josephine pressed, "Maya, you can always talk to us about school, we won't be bothered."

"E-everything's fine. Sort of…not…really…" Maya sighed, "…there were some…attacks at the school."

"Attacks?" echoed the eldest two children, Mitchell and Sarah, their eyes growing wide, but something in Mitchell's eyes gave away the fact that he wasn't entirely concerned for Maya's safety. But then again, he never had been in the past.

"Erm…uh…yeah, on M-Muggle-borns," Maya gulped, looking at them with a blank, guarded expression.

"Muggle-borns?" piped up Maya's father in a slightly drunken slur, "What're those?"

"Um…well…you know," Maya looked at her cup, hands trembling, "Muggle-borns are…well…they're what I am. Muggle-borns don't have parents with magical abilities, but rather…well —"

" _Normal_ parents?" Mitchell grinned wickedly, but Maya kept her eyes glued to her cup stubbornly, though she had visibly tensed at his words.

"…yes…"

Maya didn't say anything after that, and once the two had finished their cocoa, Josephine and Maya went to bed, Josephine and her daughter talking before Maya ultimately dozed off, Josephine leaving soon after that.

* * *

Maya awoke early one morning. The sun hadn't yet risen. Everything was quiet, and peaceful, which Maya was grateful for. Mitchell, the eldest child, had made his little sister's life as miserable as possible for the last few days, and she only hoped he would be kind enough to stop on Christmas Eve. Sarah had been cautious of her younger sister, like she had been all summer, and Maya's father always seemed to be in a bad mood when she was around. Paul and Maya's mum had been the only ones who weren't scared that she would hex them or something.

She snuggled into the warmth of her blankets, breathing in the soft and familiar scent of the soap her mother used to wash their laundry. Laying on top of Maya's pillow, was Aspen, curled in a ball and breathing softly, also enjoying the fresh scent of the pillowcase. Maya didn't want to get up, and it was Christmas Eve. And she hadn't gotten to sleep in for a while…she yawned and buried her head in her pillow, and then —

"Maya, wake up, dear," it was her mother's soft voice, "you can help Paul and I cook breakfast for everyone."

"…yes, ma'am…" Maya blinked, catching sight of her mother disappearing down the hall, "…grruuhh…why me…?"

* * *

"Why don't you come down, you little creep? Are you too chicken?" Mitchell taunted from underneath the tree that Maya had retreated to with Aspen. After breakfast, Maya and Paul had gone outside to play catch, or — as it became once Aspen had took an interest in the ball — marten-in-the-middle. Mitchell had come out and started picking on Maya. She had turned tail and run from her older brother, taking Aspen with her. By the time she found a tree that he wouldn't be able to climb, they had gone well into the woods, a good two or three miles from their house. It would seem that her Christmas wish had gone unanswered, and as the sun started to set, Maya wondered when he would get tired and leave.

Maya had been up in the tree for a good hour as her brother tried desperately to climb up and bully her some more, but she had climbed up far enough that she had almost reached the top. It was another hour before Mitchell had given up and returned home. Maya huffed out an agitated breath and waited until she was sure he wouldn't be back and she worked to climb down the tree.

As soon as she hit the ground, she bolted in the direction of her house, not waiting around to see if Mitchell had tricked her. At this point, she just wanted to be home and with her mother, who would hopefully shelter her from her vicious older sibling. Paul had warned her that this might happen. Maya's father and older brother had not been pleased to learn that their daughter and sister was a witch, and now they weren't pleased that she had chosen to spend Christmas with them.

When Maya reached her house, she turned the doorknob cautiously and was greeted by her mother and father. Dad looked furious. "Is what Mitchell said true? Did you try to…curse him, or whatever it is you've learned to do?"

"I-I —"

"He claimed you tried to curse him, is that true, Maya?" her father pressed, sounding as angry as he looked.

"N-No, I never — h-he chased me up a tree! He was bullying me!"

" _Louise Maya Kensington_ , don't you _dare_ lie to me!" her father yelled, "You will go to bed without dinner. This sort of behavior on Christmas Eve! Honestly, why can't you be more like your brothers and sister."

Maya didn't say anything, instead did as she was told, thinking to herself, _If I was like them I'd be_ normal _, right dad? Pfft…what a rotten way to spend Christmas!_

* * *

"Maya! Maya, there you are!" came a familiar voice. Maya turned around and was happy to see her friend, Carol, bouncing towards her, "How was Christmas?"

"It was good," she lied, giving Carol a convincing smile, "what'd you get?"

"Nothing much, some new socks and a few nice little nicknacks," Carol shrugged, "Oh, but check out what my little brother made me!" she presented to Maya a piece of wood that had been carved into the shape of a badger, "A badger, for Hufflepuff! Pretty cool, right? He's ten and we're pretty sure he'll be accepted to Hogwarts next year."

"D-did he use magic to create that?" Maya asked, dodging away from a few older kids as she and Carol searched for a seat on the train.

"Nope! Made it all by himself! He's been doing these since he was about…oh, five or six. Long before he started showing signs of magic." Carol replied.

"I-it's nice…" Maya replied, "…er…Carol, is it all right if I sit by myself?"

"Hmm…oh, yeah, that's fine. I want to catch up with a few friends of mine anyways. See you at school!" and with that, Carol skipped away, leaving Maya alone. Just like she had wanted.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven (Year Two): Petrified

Great, they were at it again. Amelia and Samantha, two girls in the same year and house as Maya, were tormenting her. She didn't know why they hated her so much, she had never bothered to ask him. During her first year, they had locked Maya in a bathroom before one of their classes, causing her to be late. And now, they had started to make fun of her pet, Aspen. Apparently, Aspen was 'weird and annoying' and it was Maya's fault. Maya, being short and thin, had managed to slip away from where they had cornered her and make a run for it.

Now, here Maya was, dodging out of the way of students, glancing over her shoulder, hurrying down corridors. Before Maya knew it, she had lost them, but she still ducked into the first room she came across. It was the Girls' Bathroom, the one that had been out of order all year. No one was in here, except for a wailing ghost that Maya couldn't see.

She figured that if she was going to be here for the next few minutes to avoid a confrontation, then she might as well get comfortable. Perhaps, if the ghost chose to show herself, then Maya could make friends. However, it seemed that the ghost was perfectly happy with…well, being sad, if that was even possible. Maya never really understood why the ghosts here were so pleased with being…dead. This one didn't exactly seem that way, but Maya could be wrong.

Several minutes went by, the only sounds being that of a faint dripping, water sloshing onto the floor, and the wailing of the ghost. Maya was there so long that she hadn't realized how much time had really passed by, until she happened to glance up at the windows and saw trails of moonlight dazzling the tile floors. So, Maya got up and examined her slightly damp clothes with disgust, before heading to the door.

As she pushed open the door, she heard a faint, metallic thud, and Maya whipped around, the door still open. The wailing had stopped, as if the ghost had grown tired and stopped. The dripping had gotten faster. Maya, sounding braver than she felt, said firmly, "W-who's there?" no response, only a dull hissing. "Look, if this is some sort of joke, then it isn't funny…show yourself…!"

Deciding that it was just the bathroom (or the ghost that inhabited that bathroom) Maya rolled her eyes and started forward. There was a splash, and she turned back around, staring at the water that had risen a couple of centimeters. Her eye caught something, and she stared at the reflection of something very large and yellow. Then, Maya's body went stiff, and everything went black.

* * *

"Malfoy! Malfoy, come here, please!"

Draco paused, turning around and raising an eyebrow at the owner of the voice that was calling his name. The voice that belonged to one of Kensington's friends; a puny, annoying Hufflepuff girl named Carol Manchester. As far as he knew, Manchester returned his feelings of hatred and the two only interacted…well…never, if he had to be honest. He had no need to hang out with someone in the pushover house at Hogwarts, but the tone in her voice was rather…urgent sounding. "Yes?" he asked as Manchester drew near, hoping that he sounded as annoyed as he felt.

"I need you to come with me to the hospital wing," Manchester told him, panting slightly, as if she had just run a long way.

"Why?" Draco snapped out.

"Don't give me attitude, Malfoy," she snapped back, "just follow me."

"Were you not listening? I asked you why!"

"Oh for the love of — It's about Maya, you idiot!" Manchester snarled. Draco went silent for a minute, taken aback.

"What did Kensington do this time? Get herself bit by that weasel thing she owns?" Draco asked, but began to walk away with Manchester to the hospital. Manchester shook her head, but still didn't answer his question. They didn't talk until they reached the hospital, and when they got there, Draco sucked in a sharp breath. Manchester glanced at him almost sympathetically, but it was replaced by some sort of masked…anger, hatred even. "How…how did this happen?" Draco asked no one in particular. Kensington was laying in one of the beds, looking like the Mudbloods that had been petrified. It took him a moment to remember that she herself was a Mudblood. Whatever was attacking the Mudbloods in the school, had attacked Kensington.

Manchester and Draco took seats on either side of Kensington's bed and stared at her motionless body. She wasn't dead, just…petrified, like the others. Draco had watched her, trying to figure out how this happened. When he looked up, he saw Manchester glaring at him, "What is it, Hufflepuff?"

"That isn't my name, thank you very much," Manchester snapped, "and don't say it like it's a bad thing, _Slytherin_. And, in answer to your question, Malfoy, I blame you for this."

"You _what_?"

"You heard me, Malfoy," Manchester hissed, "I — blame — _you_. You've been thrilled about all of this, and I think it's you. You're the one doing all of this, not Potter, like everyone claims. I can't prove it, but I know…"

"You know what your silly imagination came up with!" Draco growled, "Believe me, if I was the Heir of Slytherin as you seem to think, I wouldn't have petrified Kensington! She's my — my…" he trailed off, glancing at Kensington. What was she? His…friend? No, no, he couldn't admit that to Manchester, though she knew of Kensington and Draco's friendship.

"Say it, Malfoy, I dare you! Call her your friend!" Manchester was taken over by her grief at the current situation, even Draco could tell that she was only upset by her friend's current condition.

"She's…my…" Draco clenched his fist, "…y'know, I don't have to justify myself to you. I'm not the Heir of Slytherin, and that's all I have to say to you, Manchester!"

"You worthless git!" Manchester called after him as he began to leave.

"How very un-Hufflepuff of you, aren't you all supposed to be angels?" Draco retorted, not looking back, finding that it was a very weak insult, but he was going over one of the memories he had from shortly after Christmas break.

Kensington had been upset about the attacks, and worried she would be next. Draco had comforted her as best as he could, letting her break down and cry into his shoulder. However, when some Slytherins had begun to walk towards them, he had gotten up, shoved her aggressively and hurled every insult he could think of, even calling her a Mudblood. His fellow Slytherins had laughed and joined in, Draco even found it entertaining, enjoying every minute. Kensington had not and had ran away, crying. They hadn't spoken since then, and Draco felt a little guilty.

If Kensington was his friend, why did he treat her like that? Why did he enjoy bullying her for attention from the students from his own house? He wasn't going to risk his reputation for a worthless, filthy Mudblood like Kensington, and yet he felt drawn to her. He wanted to be her friend, but he didn't know how. He likely never would.

* * *

Weeks went by, and Kensington was still petrified, and Manchester had become short-tempered and depressed, lashing out at any Slytherin that she happened to see. Like Draco had said, it was very un-Hufflepuff behavior, however, he assumed it was her being protective of Kensington. She blamed Draco and his 'buddies' in Slytherin House. Draco was innocent, yet Manchester refused to believe it. He didn't need her approval. Draco knew he wasn't responsible for this, and just because he was in Slytherin didn't mean he was to blame for this.

Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle had become aware that he wasn't joining in on their rude jokes directed at the victims of the attacks, calling them all 'weak, worthless Mudbloods' and insult coined by Pansy. She had actually become aware of his silence first. "What's the matter, Draco?" she asked him, sounding a bit confused and annoyed at the same time, "We've noticed that you've been acting very…well, strange. Are you ill?"

"I'm fine, Pansy," Draco shrugged, not really paying much attention to her, distracted by his own thoughts, "I'm just ready to go home, that's all."

"Oooh," said Blaise in a teasing, almost playful tone, "Draco Malfoy is homesick!"

"Oh, bugger off!" Draco let himself smirk as he swatted at Blaise and Pansy, who were both laughing and poking fun at him. They meant it in a playful way, but he wasn't really in the mood for jokes. They didn't know that, and thought that he was just joking around as he tried to get them to leave him alone. They stayed where they were.

"Or, maybe he's gone soft," Pansy said, more seriously than before, "Draco, surely you aren't sympathizing with those filthy vermin, are you?"

"Pfft!" he scoffed, "You two actually think you're funny?"

"Well, do you? Pansy brought up a valid point, you know."

"No! I most certainly do not! Filthy Mudbloods!" Draco hoped he sounded convincing, hiding how upset he was about Kensington. It would be nice to have her back, but only because she was one of the few, perhaps the only one, who wasn't hanging around him because of his status. "They shouldn't even be considered wizards!"

Pansy and Blaise nodded their agreement, and Draco returned to his moping as they finally left him alone.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve (Year Two): End of Year Two

Maya had no memory of anything, except the bathroom and then waking up in the hospital. They had explained that she, along with several other Muggle-borns, had been petrified. One of the last victims.

Once again, Harry Potter had come back and saved the day, which Maya didn't understand. The Gryffindor boy seemed to take too much into his own hands, instead of leaving it to a higher authority. Surely an adult would eventually come up with a solution to problems, if Potter would just wait long enough.

But, now that the attacks had stopped, the usual cheerfulness had returned and everyone was enjoying the feast before they would leave to return home, to their parents, which Maya was dreading. But, one final night of happiness until summer holiday was over was enough to leave Maya with some memories and hope for the next school year.

Upon her arrival in the Great Hall, Maya was rushed by Lewis and Carol, who had evidently been very concerned after what had happened. Lewis stated that he was very upset when he heard that Maya had been petrified, and he also added that he was happy that Carol wasn't acting as hostile towards the Slytherins now that Maya had been un-petrified. Apparently, the two had had a chance to bond over Maya's absence and had become rather good friends. For the first time all year, Maya had realized just how grateful she was for Lewis and Carol, and she also was surprised by how easily she had made friends with these two.

As Maya followed Lewis to the Ravenclaw table, her gaze travelled over to the Slytherin table, where she saw Draco watching her. The second he noticed that she had seen him, he looked away and Maya made a mental note to talk to him later.

* * *

"Draco! There you are!" Maya sighed as she finally caught up to him in the crowd to get on the train, "Come here, please."

Draco paused and reluctantly turned around and looked at her expectantly. She hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and then wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He seemed surprised, but after a while he returned it, and smiled awkwardly when Maya pulled away and cleared her throat. "Here, I made this for you," she told him, slipping him a small box, "I decided to return the favor from last year. Don't open it until you get on the train."

"All right, er…thanks," Draco slipped the box inside the pocket of one of his robes, "Oh, and Kensington?"

"Hmm…?"

"See you next year."

Maya smiled a little bit, "See you next year, Draco."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen (Year Three): The Dementors of Azkaban

Things had been very hard and painful over the summer of 1993. Maya Kensington's father had become very harsh, to the point of physical abuse, even. He refused to let them leave the house without his say-so, and more often than not, you did not receive his 'say-so'. Maya had been caught up in all of this, in fact, her older sister, Sarah, claimed that Maya was the cause of it all.

"You're a witch! He hates you for it, and so do I! Why must you always be so…abnormal. So different from the rest of us!" Sarah had cried. When Maya had attempted to comfort her, Sarah had ran off, screaming at Maya not to touch her or get near her ever again. Maya had been extremely hurt by this, and a target for bullying from her oldest brother, Mitchell, and her father.

So, Maya's mother had packed everything of importance that they owned and moved Maya and Maya's older brother, Paul, out of the house and to their grandparents' farm. Maya was very happy about this. She and her pet, Aspen, finally had freedom, at least, for the next two weeks before they had to head out to Hogwarts again.

Over the holidays, Maya had grown a little bit. She had gotten taller, but was still scrawny and slightly underfed, and had matured quite a bit from her original, naive self. Maya's accent had also gotten more audible. It was rare for her to talk and someone — even herself — to not hear her developing Scottish accent. Her hair had also grown, and Maya had begun to pull it up to keep it out of her eyes. Honestly, she liked it better when she wasn't huffing strands of dark brown hair out of her eyes.

But now, it was time for her to buy her new school supplies from Diagon Alley. Only this time, her mother and father would not be accompanying her. Her mother had gotten a job to help save up for a house of their own now that they were (almost) free of Maya's father. Only another few months of separation before Maya's parents would be divorced and Maya wouldn't dread returning home, though Maya liked not having her slightly over-bearing, over-protective mother breathing down her neck all the time. She was becoming independent, and her mother just needed to accept that pretty soon, her precious baby-girl — who would be thirteen years of age as of September 1st — was growing up and getting ready to leave the nest, whether Maya's mother liked it or not.

"Are you sure you'll be all right on your own?" her mother asked for what had to have been the millionth time.

"…yes, mum, I'll be fine. I'm just buying my supplies today, not leaving," Maya said, "I'm going now, otherwise you'll be late for work. G'bye mum!" and Maya hurried away from her mother's car and into The Leaky Cauldron, heading back to the passageway to Diagon Alley. Things felt a lot better, now that Maya was soon to be in a school full of people who accepted her because they were like her. Muggles just…didn't understand, did they?

The first place Maya went was the bank, to convert some Muggle money, and then she went to the bookshop, deciding it was best to get her school books first. When she got there, she found that there was a cage that held several furry, snarling books, and when she checked the list of items for this year, Maya was very disappointed to see that this was on the list as the book for the Care of Magical Creatures class, which was a class available to Third Years and older and one that Maya had been looking forward to. That was, until she saw the book for that year.

Cautiously, she approached the cage and knelt down, peering inside at the vicious books. She stared at the creepy little books for a while before a man came over to her and asked, "Hogwarts?"

"Y-Yes, sir." Maya said, standing up immediately and brushing some dust off of her pants.

"Third Year?"

Maya nodded.

The man sighed and marched over, "Stand back," Maya stepped aside as she was told to do and the man carefully extracted one of the books, careful to avoid its 'mouth' and used a nearby rope to tie it shut, handing it over to Maya, "Here you are. Oh, and, er...I wouldn't untie it, if I were you. So, do you need any help gathering the rest of your schoolbooks?"

Again, Maya nodded, holding up the monster book cautiously before following the employee around as he helped her gather her books for her new classes. Maya paid for them, thanked the man, and left the store to finish the rest of her back-to-school shopping around the alley, before she awaited her mother's return in The Leakey Cauldron.

While she was waiting, Maya examined the monster book that was tied together by a rope, and carefully ran her fingers along the cover. It was fuzzy, and…it had eyes. It resembled a large spider, only with sharp teeth, and it made a soft growling noise, as if it knew that someone was holding it. A sentient book, if that was possible. Maya began to pet it, thinking about how she treated Aspen whenever the weasel-like animal was in one of her moods. Normally, Aspen enjoyed having her back stroked and her ears scratched. Seeing as how the book didn't have ears, Maya opted for stroking it's back — or rather the spine — of the book.

The book's growling faded to a more gentle noise, and Maya chanced taking the rope off of it. A moment later, Maya had managed to open the book, and flicked through the pages, amazed by how the book had behaved. She guessed that it was no different from any animal, in spite of the fact that it was a book. She closed it and carefully slipped the rope back around it, petting it gently one last time and putting it back into her bags.

It wasn't long after that when Maya's mother showed up and Maya left to return to the Muggle world for a few more weeks.

* * *

"Okay," huffed Maya's mother as she went over everything in her head, "have we forgotten anything, dear?"

"Not that I know of," Maya murmured, shrugging, "Wait," she reached into her school robes, which she had already chosen to change into and pulled out a permission slip, handing it over to her mother, "you haven't signed my permission slip for Hogsmeade."

"Right, give it here," her mother took the slip and disappeared into the other room, returning a moment later and returning the paper to her daughter, "Now, that's done. Are you ready to go?" Maya nodded and her mother helped her carry the bags to the car. The drive to the train station was quiet, neither one of them having much of a need for conversation.

Things had been very quiet among the family ever since Maya's parents separated, and Maya couldn't help but ask herself why. Perhaps it was only when Maya was around. If she hadn't been a witch, would her family still be together? Would they be happy? Maya went over all the what-ifs in her head, and none of them made her very happy. She was wondering why this trip was taking so long, already wanting to be in her dorm at Hogwarts, safe and surrounded by people like her.

* * *

"I've told you before, mum, I — will — be — _fine_ …" Maya said slowly and firmly to her mother, who had been fussing the entire time, as she always did whenever it was time for Maya to leave for Hogwarts. She just refused to let Maya breath on her own, and while Maya loved her mother, this coddling was getting annoying and very overwhelming.

Maya finally managed to pull away from her mother's crushing hug and bid her one last farewell before going through the barrier that led to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. She pushed her way past parents and children and headed straight for the train, climbing on board and heading to the nearest empty compartment, taking a seat in the corner and opening the pet-carrier that held her pet, Aspen.

She was finally on her way to what would be a very happy and hopeful year, unlike the depressing summer that Maya had been forced to endure. Maya speculated about what their new classes would be like, as well as who their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was.

The train had begun to move forward, and Maya was waiting for someone to come in and interrupt her thoughts, but no one did. People passed by, laughing and talking as they took their seats, but there were only a few people that she recognized. No sight of either of her friends, Carol Manchester or Lewis Hampton, although she had spent a good part of the summer writing to them.

Maya felt a pang of guilt as she realized that aside from sending them letters, she hadn't really thought about them much. She liked to think she was a loyal and caring person when it came to those she trusted and felt close to, but Maya was beginning to notice how much she didn't actually want to see them, as harsh as that sounded. Thinking back on the last two years with them and comparing them to the most recent events in her life, Maya just didn't feel up to interacting much, with anyone, really. They'd notice her change in behavior and want to try and help, and she didn't need that.

There was someone else that Maya had seemed to have forgotten due to the chaos of the last two months. Draco Malfoy, someone who had proven himself to be a worthless jerk and a maniac when it came to the superiority of Purebloods over Muggle-Borns, yet for some reason Maya and Draco had become…well, friends, believe it or not, though there were still some things Maya wasn't sure about.

 _Come to think of it, I don't want to see that git either_ , came Maya's more negative thoughts (which seemed to be dominating her mind lately) as she sunk into her seat while stroking Aspen, feeling a sudden weight on her shoulders as she looked out the rain soaked window. "Why is it," she said to Aspen, who had curled into her lap, "that whenever you're feeling down, it's usually raining? The thing is, I actually _like_ the rain…" Aspen only yawned in response.

The train suddenly lurched to a halt, making Maya yelp in surprise. At that moment she was actually grateful that she was alone and no one was there to hear the strange sound she had made. She had no idea why the train had stopped, but it definitely was not because they had arrived at Hogwarts. No, if that had been the case, then the lights wouldn't have started to flicker.

Slowly, Maya got up and peered out of her compartment, finding that many others had had the same idea, but the train shook violently — as if something had rammed into it — and Maya was thrown back into the compartment, knocked to the floor. She pushed herself up and quickly shut the compartment door and moved to the corner, holding Aspen near her, feeling cold all of the sudden. There was movement outside, but the rain was pouring down so hard, and it was very dark outside, and those two together made it impossible to see anything clearly.

By this point, the lights had all flickered briefly and then gone out, making Maya shiver from both the sudden cold and from fear. Ice had begun to form on the windows and the clear glass door and walls at the front of the compartment. There was an eery silence, and Maya watched the mist clouds that formed from her breathing as she began to pray that the train would start moving. Maybe this was some prank, something that those two redheaded Weasley twins had decided to pull on their fellow Hogwarts students.

Oh, how wrong Maya had been to think that. If only the _thing_ that entered that compartment had been a part of some prank. A skeletal like figure, draped in a tattered black robe had slid open the compartment door and hovered there. Aspen's fur bristled and she snarled loudly, backing further between Maya's arm. Maya backed up against the wall, clutching Aspen's scruff as if she thought the terrifying thing was planning to take her beloved pet from her.

The creature — if that's what one could consider it — just seemed content with hovering there menacingly, but it moved into the compartment, close to Maya's face and Maya felt as if someone had stabbed her suddenly and then proceeded to remind her of every awful experience. "No! Stop, please, stop it!" Maya had started to cry, feeling no control over her emotions at this point. She tried to remember her happier times, but it was like they were trapped in a steel vault that she had no way of getting inside. It was as if they never happened, never even existed.

"Just leave me _ALONE_!" she sobbed, laying down in surrender, as the thing continued to hover over her. Perhaps the thing recognized her behavior as a sign of submission, as it promptly turned and glided out of the compartment, leaving Maya curled in a ball, holding on to Aspen, and crying slightly. There was a faint flicker of light, of happy memories, and then it went black.

She had shut everything down, closed her eyes, and forced herself to sleep. It was a reflex, a defense mechanism she had now — without having meant to — started to form.

* * *

"Kensington? Kensington, wake up, you lazy Ravenclaw…"

A voice had shaken Maya from her very short nap, and without opening her eyes she had already registered who was speaking to her. And nudging her. His voice was deeper, but still recognizable. The tone was the same. Smooth, cold, and possibly even contemptuous. Maya squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could and then reluctantly opened them, finding Draco standing over her, a smirk on his face.

"Decided to faint like Potter, did you?" he sneered, "Not exactly an attractive thing to do, Kensington."

"For your information, Draco Malfoy, I wasn't trying to seem 'attractive', especially not to _you_ " Maya said as she heaved a sigh, sitting up and taking her hair tie out, pulling it back up after using her fingers to re-comb it. She took in how much he had changed in one summer. He had gotten taller, and his hair didn't have as much gel — or whatever wizards used to slick back their hair — in it. He also looked more…mature, than he had the previous year. She reminded herself that everyone had likely changed in some ways, and Draco was no exception.

"You've changed a bit," she commente, glancing at his hand, "Nice ring." Maya recognized it as the gift she had given him at the end of their second year at Hogwarts. It was simple enough, as well as inconspicuous. It looked entirely like something from Slytherin House, and hopefully none of Draco's lackeys had guessed that it was from her.

Draco seemed to have ignored what she had said and what looked like concern spread across his face, "Have you been…crying?"

Maya guessed that her eyes were red, considering that she felt as if they were on fire. She shook her head, "Er…no, I've been — having an allergic reaction to some, erm…lotion that my mum gave me."

"Lotion?" Draco asked, but Maya didn't answer, so he shrugged it off and got up, "Well, come on. We better get to the carriages before Pansy comes looking for me. I told her I'd forgotten something and I'd only be a minute. What were you doing in here by yourself anyways?"

"I don't know," Maya replied honestly.

"Why did you faint?"

"I didn't faint! I was taking a nap. I didn't get much sleep last night…" she mumbled, standing up and following him off the train and into the rain. Aspen hid herself underneath Maya's cloak to stay dry.

"So, you didn't see the Azkaban guards searching the train?" Draco asked, being forced to raise his voice over the wind and rain as they made for the carriages that would take them to the school.

Azkaban guards? Maya was confused, but said, "No," and it wasn't a lie. She hadn't seen a guard, only a creepy, Grim Reaper like…thing.

"Pfft, you'd sleep through the end of the world, wouldn't you, Kensington?" Draco asked, then the two saw Pansy Parkinson peering out of a nearby carriage in search of Draco, and he said, "Well, I'll see you later, Kensington. Goodnight." Maya watched him leave and climb into the carriage with Pansy and likely several of his Slytherin gang.

"…Goodnight…" she murmured after him, feeling slightly jealous of Pansy, and climbed into the carriage nearest to her. It smelled of damp straw, but at least it was dry. Maya realized that she wasn't alone, and that three people were sitting across from her. Luna Lovegood, a Second Year Ravenclaw, and Lewis, a Fourth Year Ravenclaw, and Carol, a Hufflepuff in the same year as Maya. Lewis and Carol were Maya's friends, and while she was somewhat happy to see them, she only managed to barely squeak out a greeting.

Luna said hello in a very quiet and calming voice, while Lewis and Carol sat with slightly guilty looks on their faces as they waved the tiniest bit. Maya wasn't too bothered by the fact that they hadn't sat with her, and the more she remembered the train, the more she was pleased about being alone. They hadn't seen her terrified to the point of tears, and she hadn't wanted them to.

* * *

Maya had zoned out during the Sorting Ceremony, and hadn't even bothered to look up and see the new Ravenclaws. However, when Dumbledore stepped up and began his speech, Maya began to listen, but she didn't look up from her plate.

"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Now, I'd like to say a few words before we all become too befuddled by our excellent feast," he said, his voice echoing through the hall, "First, I am please to welcome Professor R.J. Lupin, who's kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Good luck, Professor." there was a pause as people clapped for the new professor, but Maya still didn't look up.

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, has decided to retire, in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs," Maya furrowed a brow at this, wondering what that meant, "Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own, Rubeus Hagrid." there was a lot of clapping and even some whistling and whooping when this was announced, at least from every table that wasn't Slytherin.

"Finally," Dumbledore continued, "on a more disquieting note, at the request of the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts will — until further notice — play host to the dementors of Azkaban," Maya did look up for this, listening more intently than she had before, "until such a time as Sirius Black is captured," there were many shocked murmurs, but Maya was still processing everything, her brain working at an extremely sluggish pace, "The dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. Now whilst I've been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution," Maya blinked as Dumbledore's voice became lower and quieter, "Dementors are vicious creatures. They'll not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way."

Maya shuddered at the thought of that thing on the train. So dementors must be the 'Azkaban guards' that Draco had mentioned. Dumbledore went on, "Therefore, I must warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a dementor to be forgiving," everyone was silent, obviously concerned.

There was a ripple of anxiety that you could sense from a million miles away. Dumbledore then said, "But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times," he waved his hand over one of the candles and it went out, "if one only remembers to turn on the light," Dumbledore waved his hand over the candle again and it was burning once more.

* * *

Maya was the first to reach the top of the spiral staircase that led up to the top of Ravenclaw tower, and the bronze door-knocker that was in the shape of an eagle asked in it's soothing, lyrical voice, "When is a door not a door?"

"When it's ajar," Maya answered the riddle promptly.

Without another word, the door unlocked and opened, allowing the Ravenclaws to pour into the common room. Maya grabbed a book off of one of the shelves and sat on the couch, reading until everyone else went to bed.

At least, she thought everyone had gone to bed. Lewis had also been reading and came and sat down next to her, "Maya, are you okay?" he asked. Maya didn't look up from her book, instead chose to ignore him, hoping he'd go away. Instead, he added to what he had said, "I mean, you've been acting a bit odd. Is everything all right?"

"…I'm fine, thank you for your concern…" Maya told him quietly, focusing on the book as much as she could. She didn't hear his response, but he got up and left, so she assumed he had said goodnight or something similar. Maya didn't really care. So far, she hated this year. And she hated being thirteen.

Things were not looking too bright.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:**

 _To a guest review from kat-_

Thank you so much, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

 _In response to a guest review from Ryo-_

Yes, I'm sure things will be looking up for Maya later on in the year, we'll just have to wait and see!

 _In response to a guest review from valencia-_

Thank you so much for your review! Yeah, in later chapters Draco will start being less of a git (though we all know he is one, lol). I'm glad you liked that bit with the ring, I was so worried people would hate it that I almost edited it out of the story and reposted the chapter, but it's nice to know I was wrong!

—

Well, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter, and I'm sorry about the wait.

I also rewatched the scene in which the Care of Magical Creatures class took place in the movies, and I know I got the description of the area wrong, considering the lake wasn't within view because of the trees, but I felt like it would conjure a more pleasant image and before they show Buckbeak flying out of the trees (it's right when he's taking off) it looks like there's a more…open space than there actually is, so that's why I described it the way I did.

Anyways, enough of my note, hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter Fourteen (Year Three): The First Day Back

She hadn't remembered falling asleep, but she did remember what followed. The dementor returned in Maya's sleep to haunt her dreams. Maya was back on the train car with Aspen, and the creature kept menacing the two of them. The nightmare had ended just as Dumbledore's words about the dementor could be heard and the creature jerked towards Maya.

That was when she jerked up, finding herself safe and sound in her bed. Memory came flooding back. She had fallen asleep rather late, and checking her watch to see what time it was, Maya realized that at most she had only had about two or three hours of sleep at most, which explained why she still felt so awful.

Maya pushed herself out of bed, noticing that it was only just starting to get light outside. She went over to the window, pushing back the blue-lace curtains and peering outside at the grey clouds that hung in the sky. It looked as if it was going to rain later that day. In the distance you could see the dementors hovering in the sky. She shuddered, remembering that she was going to have to deal with these things until they caught this Sirius Black fellow.

"This is going to be a long year, isn't it, Aspen?" Maya asked Aspen, who's ears twitched in response. She looked at Maya with what could be considered a sympathetic look, and she hopped off of the bed and clambered onto Maya's shoulder, looking out the window and rubbing her nose against Maya's cheek. "Well, at least I still have you…"

* * *

The class that Maya had been looking forward to the most had been Care of Magical Creatures, mainly because she was looking forward to learning about animals that lived in the wizarding world. The only downside, was that it was outdoors, which was where the dementors would be. She had planned to skip the class and hide out in the library, but she reminded herself that the dementors would be guarding the _entrances_ to the grounds, not the grounds themselves.

So, she joined the crowd of third years on their way down to the gamekeeper's hut, looking nervously in all directions. It was a lovely day, but the thought of the dementors ruined it for Maya. In fact, she was sure she looked ridiculous, scanning the sky for any sign of the dementors. She jogged lightly in order to get to the hut faster.

"That's it, come on now, come closer," Hagrid was saying as Maya approached, working her way to the middle of the crowd, "Less talking, if you don't mind," once everyone went silent, he said, "I got a real treat for you today. A great lesson! Follow me!" Hagrid (Professor Hagrid?) led the group of kids away from his hut and led them all along the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

It took a while, but they eventually came to a sunnier part of the woods and Hagrid led them inside. Maya liked the safe feeling of the trees over her head, where the dementors (hopefully) could not and would not go. While the dusty clearing they were in appeared to have come to be naturally, there was stone that resembled a wall similar to the one that surrounded Maya's grandparents' garden, except that this stone covered more of a spacious area, it had a few trees and large boulders inside it, it was surrounded by forest on three sides, and on the one free, open side, it overlooked the lake.

Maya risked wandering away from the group a few feet to get a better look at the lake, but she still listened to the talking going on around her.

"All right, you lot, less chattering, and form a group over there!" said Hagrid to all of them, pointing to one end of the short stone wall, "And open your books to page 49!"

Draco looked down at his book and then at Hagrid, "Exactly how do we do that?!" he demanded.

"You just stroke the spine, of course! Goodness me!" said Hagrid, as if it was obvious, and then he began to walk off, leaving the Third Years alone.

Maya raised an eyebrow, watching the rest of the class as they all tried to do as Hagrid had told them. Draco examined the book and traced two fingers along the spine, looking over at Hagrid's retreating figure with this…odd expression that resembled the sneer that he always wore. Everyone else began to 'pet' their books, while Maya and Carol had already managed to open their books, flipping through them to the right page.

"Hippogriffs…" Maya murmured out loud, walking past Neville Longbottom (who was struggling with his book), reading a few parts off of the page in her head. "Is...is that what we're studying today…?" it was rhetorical, and everyone was too distracted to have heard her and respond anyways. Maya kept the book open, muttering every now and then, sitting down on the stone wall, her nose in the book, while still monitoring everything going on around her.

"I think they're funny…" said Hermione Granger, likely about the books.

"Oh yeah, terribly funny. Really witty," scoffed Draco, who's gang of Slytherins had gathered near her. Maya rolled her eyes at him, but he went on, regardless of her disapproval, "God, this place has gone to the dogs. Wait until my father hears that Dumbledore's got this _oaf_ teaching classes!" he turned to his friends with a smirk, and they chuckled to show their support.

Some people — Maya included — were not as amused by this, though Harry Potter was the only one to say something about it, "Shut up, Malfoy," he said sternly, marching forward a few steps, then stopping and watching for Draco's reaction.

Draco and his gang all went 'ooooh!' — even though Draco sounded more like a hoot owl — as if they wanted to see a fight or something. Draco slid his bag off of his shoulder and dropped it onto Crabbe's arm, taking a step or two over to Potter. He looked the Gryffindor up and down, then he looked up and shouted loudly while pointing at the sky, "DEMENTOR! DEMENTOR!"

Maya, her nose having been glued to her book in hopes of ignoring everyone around her, fell backwards off the wall when she heard his shout, landing on the ground on the other side of the wall. She didn't move or react until she heard sudden laughter a split second later, and Maya scrambled back over the wall, finding her palm and knee scraped from when she fell. She glared daggers at Draco and his friends as they threw the pointed hoods on their robes over their heads and waved their finger, going, "OoooooOOhhh!" in a very strange imitation of a dementor.

Hagrid clearing his throat was the only thing that stopped Maya from picking up the nearest rock and chucking it at Draco's head. Everyone looked towards their teacher and once he was sure he had gotten their attention, he raised his arms wide and imitated a trumpet. Everyone looked at the thing with disgust, confusion, and fear, while Maya was rather impressed by it. Standing behind Hagrid was something that resembled two different animals. It had the front part and wings of an eagle and the back end of a horse.

 _A real hippogriff?_ Was everything that Maya read about in fairy-tails real?

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid asked them, throwing a fish at the hippogriff. The grey creature leapt up to catch it in his mouth, swallowing it whole. "Say hello, to Buckbeak!"

"Hagrid…" said Ron Weasley, sounding scared, "…exactly what is that?"

"That, Ron, is a hippogriff," Hagrid replied, walking forward towards the class so they could hear him better, "First thing you want to know about hippogriffs, is that they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended. You do not want to insult a hippogriff, or it just may be the last thing you ever do." Maya gulped, watching Buckbeak very carefully. "Now!" Hagrid smiled, clapping his hands together, "Who'd like to come and say hello?"

Maya started forward, but someone behind her grabbed her arm and pulled her back with the rest of the class. She frowned and turned around to see that Carol was shaking her head 'no', and Maya freed her arm and looked back over at Buckbeak as Hagrid said to Potter, "Well done, Harry, well done!" Maya couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as Potter hesitantly made his way towards Buckbeak.

"Now, you have to let him make the first move, it's only polite," Hagrid instructed, "So, step up, give 'im a nice bow, then you wait an' see if he bows back. If he does, you can go an' touch 'im. If not…well…we'll get to that later."

Potter walked forward nervously and then bowed down as low as he could when Hagrid told him to. Buckbeak let out a inquisitive squawk, and flared his wings, squawking very loudly and angrily. "Back off, Harry, back off!" Hagrid said quickly, and when Potter took a step back, his heel broke a stick and it made a loud _SNAP_. Everyone gasped, and Hagrid kept telling Potter to keep still.

After a few seconds, Buckbeak let out a soft and curious squawk, stretching out his neck and then lowering it, lifting on of his front legs. He had just bowed back to Potter. Maya wished it had been her out there instead, but she tried her best to not feel jealous as Hagrid said, "Oh! Well done, Harry, well done!" he tossed a fish to Buckbeak and the hippogriff caught it and did the same thing it had done before. Potter straightened up, and Hagrid informed him, "Right, you can go an' pat 'im now. Go on. Don't be shy."

Draco and the Slytherins shoved their way to the front of the group for a front-row seat and Draco bit down on a green apple that made Maya wonder if he was even allowed to have. She decided to take advantage of the fact that there was a gap between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins, and she moved through it to get a better view of what was going on. Carol followed her. When Crabbe and Parkinson noticed them, she wrinkled her nose, but continued to watch without saying anything.

Potter moved forward, quivering fearfully. He kept his hand out, and every now and then Buckbeak would snap towards him, but he didn't try to attack Potter or anything. After a minute or so, Potter stopped and Buckbeak met him the rest of the way, walking forward and pressing his head against Potter's palm to allow the boy to stroke his head.

The class relaxed exactly when this happened, the worry fading away as they all came to the conclusion that Buckbeak was at least somewhat safe to be around. He was unpredictable, though. All animals were. You never knew what they would do next, and while they were very loyal and loving companions, they could still hurt you if you made a wrong move, and Buckbeak was _definitely_ not an exception. Maya eyed his talons when she thought about this, and shuddered.

"Yes! Well done!" Hagrid and the other students — except for Draco and his gang — began to clap. "Well done, Harry!" Potter looked very happy, at least until Hagrid said, "I think 'e might let you ride 'im now."

"What?"

"Come on," Hagrid said, lifting Potter up off the ground and ignoring the boy's (extremely) loud protests and carrying him over to Buckbeak's side and placing him on the hippogriff's back, "Jus' don't pull out any of 'is feathers! He won't thank you for that!"

Hagrid's massive hand came down on Buckbeak's rump and the hippogriff reared up, sqauwking loudly and he struck out with his front talons before thrusting forward with his back legs and galloping forward like a horse. Just before he reached the stone wall his wings lifted up and whooshed back down a few times, lifting him into the air with Potter on his back. Everyone raced over to the wall, watching as Buckbeak flew into the air over the lake and then he was out of sight.

After a few minutes, Buckbeak came back into view and Hagrid whistled, calling Buckbeak back. He flew down and galloped a few seconds before skidding to a halt. Everyone was clapping, a few people shouting out things. Maya happened to be awe-struck and went, "Wow! So cool!" while she was clapping, without noticing Draco overhearing and getting up.

He walked over to her and seethed, "You think Potter is _so_ holy, don't you Mudblood? All because he can pet a hippogriff? Pfft, I'll show you…"

"Draco!" Maya squeaked as he pushed past her and shoved a few kids aside to get to Buckbeak.

"Yes, you're not dangerous at all, are you? You great ugly brute!" Draco said, striding over to Buckbeak. The creature was obviously taking this as a sign of aggression — and being honest, it was one — because Buckbeak reared up and Draco's smug expression likely faded away soon after. The class screamed and scatted back against the wall. Draco brought his arm up and covered his face as Buckbeak's talons struck out. He tried to back away, but it was too late and Maya watched helplessly as Draco fell onto his back, the sleeve on his robe ripped and bloody. He was moaning pathetically, "Oh, it's killed me! It's killed me!"

"Calm down!" Hagrid said frantically, "It's just a scratch!"

"Hagrid!" Granger said, racing forward. "He has to be taken to the hospital!"

"I'm the teacher, I'll do it!" Hagrid reached down and lifted Draco up, carrying him away.

"Oh, you're gonna regret this —" Draco started, sounding as if he was in pain.

"Class dismissed!" Hagrid called back.

"— you and your bloody chicken!"

* * *

"Do…you think he's all right?" Maya asked Carol once they had finished their classes for that day. Dinner wouldn't be long after.

"Who? Malfoy? Probably," said Carol, not really interested in Draco's well-being, "but if you ask me, he got what he deserved. Shouldn't've been messing with a hippogriff like that, I mean, even a Gryffindor would know better than that! Honestly, what goes through that foolish boy's head is far beyond me." Carol talked like an elderly lady sometimes, and Maya wondered just how much time she spent around her grandmother.

"Err — I-I'll see you tomorrow, Carol," Maya tried to think of an excuse, and remembered that she hadn't washed off her palm and her knee from when she fell off the wall, and used that, "I need to…get this —" she presented her bloodied up hand and knee, "— fixed up. It really hurts."

Carol blinked a couple of times, "Okay," she said suspiciously, "maybe I'll see you at dinner or something. Better yet, I could go with you?"

"No!" Maya told her quickly. Too quickly. "I mean — um…I-I might be a while, and I want to ask Madam Pomfrey a rather — uh — _personal_ question." Carol seemed to get the idea, and nodded, telling Maya to go ahead and goodnight. So, Maya hurried off in the direction of the hospital wing.

When she reached the doors and pushed one open, she found that it was empty except for Draco, who was laying in a bed towards the middle of the row he was in. Maya bit her lip and started forward cautiously, looking around at the candles and praying that she wasn't caught by Madam Pomfrey. When she reached Draco's bed, he looked like he was asleep, but as soon as she began to search for a chair to sit down in, his eyes opened. "You're awake?" she asked him.

"Yeah —" he put on a pitiful look and groaned, "— I'm in too much pain to sleep."

"Cut the act, Malfoy," she spat in a low whisper, "I'm not buying it. I heard what you said to me, and for your information I don't think Potter is 'holy' as you put it, but guess what? I didn't see _you_ volunteering to pet him and I didn't see _you_ doing what Hagrid instructed you to do, and actually —"

"Kensington!" Draco snatched her wrist up and she sucked in a sharp breath, narrowing her eyes on him. "I get the idea, but could you shut up and listen?"

Maya yanked her wrist away from him and crossed her arms, "Fine. I'm listening."

"Well," Draco moved his pillow and sat up, "when I saw you cheering for Potter, I thought that you thought he was…better than me. I just…didn't want to lose a friend, that's all."

"So you call me a 'mudblood' — _again_ — and put yourself in the hospital!" Maya threw her arms up dramatically, "Sounds like a really great idea doesn't it, how's it working out for you?" She sighed and pressed her hand to her head, "Draco Malfoy, you are a jerk _and_ an idiot."

Draco smirked, "Don't remind me."

"So far," Maya said, ignoring him, "I don't really want to see you again."

"Listen. Kensington," Draco said, sounding…well, nicer, than he normally did, "I'm sorry…please, let me…make it up to you. Somehow. We can spend time studying, talking, reading…even spend some time in Hogsmeade later this year, if you'd like and if I can get away from the Slytherins long enough to not be seen. We can repair the friendship we had in our first year, please."

Maya stared at him for a moment. So he continues to hurt her, and expects her to still want to be his friend? _Don't say anything_ , Maya thought, but her mouth murmured out, "…fine…" _Wow, Maya, you're as stupid as he is_ , she heard in her mind say after she said that. Draco smiled and thanked her. Since Maya couldn't find Madam Pomfrey, she decided to sit on the the chair next to Draco's bed and talk with him, but as soon as she sat down, Madam Pomfrey came to check on Draco.

"Excuse me, young lady, what are you doing disturbing my patient at such a late hour?"

"Oh…s-sorry, ma'am," Maya jumped up, "I was just…wondering if I could see you?"

"Are you hurt, dear?" Pomfrey asked in a calmer tone.

"O-Only a few scrapes — one on my hand and the other on my knee — they aren't severe, b-but they sting pretty badly," she showed her hand and Pomfrey and the woman examined it, beckoning for Maya to follow her over to another bed, away from Draco's. Madam Pomfrey tended to Maya's scrapes, healing them in a split second and telling her to hurry off to the Great Hall. Maya hesitated, "I have…a question, to ask you, i-if that's okay?"

"Yes, dear, go ahead, I'm listening."

"Well, I-I was wondering if — well, you see I — uh — I haven't exactly been feeling…myself, lately."

Pomfrey raised an eyebrow, "Can you elaborate, please? I won't know if I can help you unless you tell me more."

"I just feel…depressed. I've felt that way all summer, and now that school's started back…" Maya trailed off. "Is there a…spell or something that you could use?"

"I'm afraid not," Pomfrey replied, "I can't make you happy, you have to do that for yourself. The only medicine I can give you is to suggest that you eat enough, exercise and get outside, and get plenty of rest. Spend time with a few friends, as well. You'll feel better in no time."

Maya nodded and turned to leave, then stopped, "Also, how long will Malfoy be here?"

"I'm keeping him over night, why do you need to know?"

"Uh…someone he knows was asking. That's all." Maya walked down the aisle between the rows of beds, and said goodnight to Draco.

Once she was out of the hospital, she broke into a run in order to get to the Great Hall. Luckily for her, she was just in time for dinner, and no one questioned her brief absence. For most of the night, she pondered what Madam Pomfrey had told her, and she went over the list in her head, being sure to copy it down before bed and before she fell asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:**

 _In response to a guest review from Ryo-_

Thank you so much for the review! I figured that having a shy and introverted character (that wasn't emo) would be more relatable for some, that's why she ended up with a very small friend group. As she gets older, she'll open up a bit more.

Secondly, yeah I know I'd be a bit jealous of Saint Potter if I had classes with him! To be honest, at times Malfoy can be somewhat justified (like when he tried to get Harry in trouble for going to Hogsmeade in the book for Prisoner of Azkaban).

And lastly, I decided we'll reveal what her boggart would be in this chapter, though I had originally planned not to because I couldn't think of how I would go about doing it. But, just to clarify, her boggart is chaos (loud noises, many voices talking at once, etc.) which is what makes her very quiet in places like the Great Hall.

Also, like you, I too found it interesting how Ron was more afraid of spiders than Voldemort, but to be fair, spiders are pretty scary. I know that _I'd_ be more scared of them than Voldemort!

 _P.S. Lucius Malfoy hears about everything…_

—

Well, this is the longest chapter yet, and I was actually a bit surprised to see that. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Sorry for the wait!

* * *

Chapter Fifteen (Year Three): The First Trip to Hogsmeade

Maya awoke later than she had intended, and she didn't like how rushed she was as a result. She had overslept and broken her usual routine. Normally, Maya was up before the sun was and long before the other girls. She would be the first at the table for breakfast and got to chose exactly where she wanted to sit that day.

This particular morning, however, she awoke just as one of the girls she shared the dormitory with (Amelia) threw a pillow at her head to wake her up and tell her to get ready. "Also, you should thank me, shortie," she said in a snotty British accent, "Samantha wanted to leave you asleep so you'd get in trouble for not showing up, but I told her that I had…other plans."

"That's nice," Maya said in her 'I don't care' tone. Her lack of a reaction to anything that Amelia and Samantha said only ever infuriated them. She knew they wouldn't do anything to her. They never really tried after their first year, though an occasional chase would ensue. Mostly, it was only harsh threats that they had no intention of carrying out. This was why Maya cursed under her breath because she had overslept. It meant she had to put up with their annoying threats, whispers, and harsh jokes.

"Say, Kensington," Samantha rounded on her, "is it just me or have you lost weight?"

"What weight?" Amelia rolled her eyes, "Kensington's been skin and bones ever since we met her. Only difference is that now she's a little taller. It shows more, I guess."

 _What a bunch of idiots…_ Maya ignored them and focused on changing into her school uniform. By the time the two had finally left for breakfast, Maya had been finishing putting on her shoes and then went about fixing her tie. She was in her full uniform a moment later, placing her books in her bag one at a time and putting her wand in her pocket. She turned to Aspen, "Well, come on then," she said and the weasel-like animal hopped to its' feet and clambered up Maya's shoulder.

Maya opened the dormitory door and slipped outside, walking down the stairs and into the crowded common room. She immediately headed to the door and pushed her way through the crowd with ease. Being scrawny had advantages, and one was that Maya could easily slip between crowds. As Maya aged she had started to fill out more, but she still found herself in an awkward faze. Her mother had told her that she would start to change now that she was a teenager. Maya didn't want to know exactly what 'change' meant.

The Great Hall was bustling with the usual early morning activity. A lot of chattering and the sounds of silverware clinking against bowls echoed through the hall. Maya swiftly dodged two first years chasing each other down the aisles between the tables, laughing. She watched them race a little longer before a fifth year told them to settle down. Maya wished she could be their age again. Then she could use her inner stubbornness to not attend Hogwarts.

"Hey, Maya!" she heard a familiar voice and looked to see Lewis beckoning her over to sit by him at the Ravenclaw table. Maya looked around and then hurried over to join him, giving Aspen a piece of toast and setting her down so the marten could skitter away. Lewis watched, making conversation, "I noticed you're late. Are you okay?"

Maya frowned, "Yeah," she buttered herself a piece of toast and took a bite, opting for a quick breakfast. Seeing that Lewis hadn't bought it, she told him honestly, "I-I'm fine."

"Well, if you're sure. Your first trip to Hogsmeade is coming up," Lewis told her in a lighter tone, "Are you excited?"

"I-I guess so. We — we have to leave the school grounds to get there, don't we?" Lewis' eyes narrowed and he nodded slowly. Maya's heart sank. Leaving the grounds meant walking near where the dementors would be. This would take the fun and excitement out of everything. "Well," she said sarcastically when she had finished her last bite of toast, "I'm going to have _so_ much fun in Hogsmeade!"

Lewis picked up on the sarcasm and it was his turn to frown, but he didn't say anything, Maya didn't _let_ him say anything. She grabbed her school bag and marched away, wishing that there was a way to get rid of the weight that was pushing on her chest and shoulders, making her feel tired and sad all the time. The dementors weren't helping any at all.

There was no way she could have fun if she was sad all the time.

* * *

Draco had shown up for classes that day, his arm in a sling. Maya rolled her eyes at the way he chose to go about getting attention. It was absolutely pitiful. Surely there were other ways of getting your friends to take an interest in you for things other than your parents' wealth. At least, that's what Maya thought he was doing it for, but she wasn't quite sure.

"I could have lost my arm!" he told Pansy Parkinson on their way to the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the year. Maya rolled her eyes, but was too busy worrying about the new teacher to care much about anything the two were saying. Pansy was intelligent, yes, but far to sly and clingy for Maya to actually appreciate the other skills she had. Why Draco ever hung out with Pansy, Maya would never understand.

 _But,_ a voice said in Maya's head, _the same could be said about the two of you, could it not? You don't understand why Draco hangs around you_ occasionally _._

"Perhaps," Maya replied out loud, rather sharply, without meaning to, "But I don't act like she does, which could contribute. And must you emphasize 'occasionally'?"

"Who're you talking to?" Carol asked her suddenly, making her jump.

Maya didn't have a chance to explain herself before Pansy leapt into the conversation, "Probably her imaginary friends, since she doesn't have real ones!"

"Pansy, that isn't exactly accurate," Draco scoffed, "you're forgetting that she has the Hufflepuff, who's the only one stupid enough to be friends with her in the first place." he glanced at Maya apologetically, but no one else caught it. Carol made an aggressive move towards Draco, but Maya grabbed Carol's wrist and shook her head, firmly saying 'no', and then lead her into the classroom behind a group of Gryffindors.

"Why didn't you let me hit him? They insulted both of us!" Carol said.

Maya waited until Draco was within earshot to tell Carol, "Because a stupid git like him isn't worth the energy." She looked back and saw Draco's hurt expression, and put on a 'well what did you expect me to say?' face, to which he rolled his eyes and shifted his attention to something else. Maya knew they both had likely hurt the other with their comments, but there wasn't anything else for her to say right now. If Draco was up to it, then the two could study later that night to make up for the insults.

The chatter ceased as soon as their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher emerged from his office and into the classroom. So this was Professor Lupin. He was a slightly taller man, with untidy chestnut hair that had already begun greying. His clothes were a bit worn, and he could have used a shave. He had a mustache, Maya could see, that made him look more mature, somehow. He stepped down the stairs and in front of a wardrobe that Maya had seen rattling in the corner of the room, pulling it to the center of the room and then walking around the class, "Intriguing, isn't it? Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?"

"That's a boggart, that is!" said a Gryffindor boy.

"Very good, Mr. Thomas," smiled Professor Lupin, "Now could anyone tell me what a boggart _looks_ like?"

"No one knows," replied Granger, "Boggarts are shapeshifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears the most. That's what makes them so —"

"— So terrifying, yes, yes..." Professor Lupin nodded, his hands held behind his back. He walked to the front of the class and took a position in front of the wardrobe, facing the class. "Luckily, a very simple charm exists, to repel a boggart —" the wardrobe rattled loudly as if whatever was inside realized he was there, "— Let's practice it, shall we?" he paused and added quickly, "Without wands, please. After me: _Riddikulus_!"

" _Riddikulus_ ," the class said loudly and rather dully.

"Very good. A little louder, very clear. Listen," Professor Lupin spoke slowly so they could understand better, " _Riddikulus_!"

" _Riddikulus_!"

"This class is ridiculous…" Maya heard Draco growl, and she held back the urge to laugh. Even if Maya enjoyed Defense Against the Dark Arts, she had to give Draco credit for being so quick-witted. She admired that.

"Well, so much for the easy part," Professor Lupin said with a warm smile, "The incantation alone, is not enough. What really finishes a boggart is laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape that you find truly amusing. Let me explain, uh — Neville! Would you join me, please? Come on, don't be shy, come on." A nervous young Gryffindor, who Maya recognized as Neville Longbottom, stepped forward hesitantly and stood in front of Professor Lupin. "Hello. Neville, what frightens you most of all?"

Neville mumbled something in response.

"Sorry?" said Lupin.

"P-Professor Snape," Neville said in a louder voice.

"Professor Snape." Lupin echoed, chuckling slightly. The rest of the class laughed, but Maya understood why Neville was scared of Snape. "Yes, frightens all." he paused a moment, looking thoughtful, and then asked, "And I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Y-Yes," said Neville, "but I don't want that boggart to turn into her, either!"

"No, no," Professor Lupin shook his head quickly, looking back as the wardrobe shook aggressively, then back at Neville, "it won't" he stared at Neville, "I want you to picture her clothes — only her clothes — very clearly, in your mind."

"She carries a red handbag —" Neville began, but Professor Lupin cut him off.

"We don't need to hear. As long as you see it, we'll see it." Professor Lupin said calmly, "Now, when I open that wardrobe, here's what I want you to do…" he leaned close to Neville and whispered something into the boy's ear, Maya could only pick up a few words, but even then it wasn't clear. Lupin straightened up and looked down at Neville, "Can you do that?" the wardrobe rattled again, and Lupin reached into his robes, said, "Wands at the ready!" pulled his wand out and counted, "One — two — three," and there was a faint whirring sound as the wardrobe was unlocked by magic.

The door clicked open and creaked open. From the blackness within, Professor Snape stepped out, looking as serious and as menacing as ever, and began to march over to Neville aggressively. Neville looked frozen with fear, but managed to shout out, " _Riddikulus_!" pointing his wand at Snape. Professor Snape was suddenly looking embarrassed as the class laughed. The boggart-Snape was wearing a tight green dress, a gaudy old hat with a stuffed vulture on top of it, was carrying a red handbag, and had something fuzzy wrapped around his neck. It really was ridiculous looking!

"Wonderful, Neville, wonderful!" Lupin cheered, "All right, everyone form a line!" the class did as they were told, but Draco and his Slytherins made it a very difficult task, as they shoved several people out of their way. Maya rolled her eyes as everyone was pushed forward because of this. "Form a line," Lupin repeated, walking to the other end of the classroom, "I want everyone to picture the thing they fear the very most. And turn it into something funny." Lupin put on a record and called, "Next! Ron!"

Ronald Weasley stepped forward hesitantly and the boggart-Snape morphed into a giant spider, which made Maya jump a little when she saw it. It snapped at him as it walked forward and Weasley looked as if he was going to faint but he managed to shout, " _Riddikulus_!" and the spider was suddenly having a difficult time walking, as skates had appeared on all eight of its legs.

Lupin cheered and the class laughed, and Lupin said, "All right, Parvati, next!" a Gryffindor girl stepped forward and the boggart began to spin and Lupin said, "Show us what you see…" the Boggart was suddenly a giant cobra, hissing and snapping at Parvati.

" _Riddikulus_!" she shouted, and the cobra was suddenly a giant jack-in-the box, which in Maya's opinion looked scarier than the cobra.

Maya had been thinking about her own fear, but wasn't able to come up with much. If she was being honest, her greatest fear was large groups of people, or rather, the chaos that follows large groups of people and loud noises. But what on earth could a physical representation of chaos be?

"Kensington, your turn!" Professor Lupin called, and Maya swallowed, stepping forward and staring into the eyes of the giant jack-in-the box. The boggart twisted around several times, likely trying to find a suitable form to take. It eventually appeared as some person Maya didn't recognize, with a spoon and a large pot. They were shouting and hitting the spoon against the pot, taking a few steps towards Maya.

"Uh — R- _Riddikulus_!" Maya managed to shout out. Suddenly, it changed to Maya's pet marten, Aspen, sitting between the spoon and the pot, tapping her paws against the pot, but it made only a faint tapping noise. The chaos was gone, and everyone giggled at the sight of Aspen. Maya sheepishly disappeared to the back of the line, where Draco had a strange sort of smirk on his face. Carol was giggling uncontrollably as Maya walked past her.

The class was cut short when Harry Potter's turn came about. The boggart turned itself into a dementor, and instead of letting him fight it, Professor Lupin jumped in front of Potter and shouted, "Here!" as if he was taking a bullet for the boy or something. The boggart instantly changed into a full moon, and Lupin said with no hesitation, " _Riddikulus_!" and the moon was replaced by a balloon that was deflating. It flew around the classroom and then back into the wardrobe, where Lupin locked it once again. "Right, sorry about that. Uh — that's enough for today. Please collect your books from the back of the class. That's the end of the lesson. Thank you." Lupin took a bow.

Those that hadn't had a chance to test their skills against the boggart let out a loud, 'awwww' as if it would change his mind, but his only response was, "Sorry, sorry, but you can't have too much of a good thing." and he turned to watch Potter carefully while the rest of the class left the classroom, chatting about the lesson.

"So, what exactly did your boggart mean?" Carol asked her as they gathered their books and stepped out into the hallway.

"Hmm? Oh, erm — c-chaos. I don't like loud noises or large groups of people, but I figured the loud noise seemed to fit my idea of a representation of my fear. It was the first thing that came to mind, so I guess that's why the boggart chose that form," Maya bit her lip, remembering seeing Potter's boggart-dementor in the classroom. She suddenly remembered how afraid of those things she had been, and was glad that that incident had been forgotten during the class.

* * *

The time for the first trip to Hogsmeade came quickly, and Maya was very hesitant about it.

She had spent time studying with Draco — which helped to rekindle the friendship they had formed in their first year — and she had asked him about the dementors. He had told her to stop being such a chicken and that the dementors wouldn't attack her unless she gave them good reason to. Maya hadn't been convinced, but she didn't feel like being cooped up in the castle while everyone else had a great time.

"I wonder," Carol said as the two handed their permission slips to Mr. Filch, "will we be allowed to just go wherever we want in Hogsmeade, or will it be like a tour or something?"

"I think they'd just let us wander around to wherever catches our eye." Maya shrugged, tugging on the sleeves of her bronze-colored sweater. It was Halloween, and the weather was starting to get much colder. On this particular day, it was very foggy and very cloudy. It looked as if it would rain later, but nobody had any real way of knowing.

Maya searched the crowd for Draco, and saw him standing with Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and a few other Slytherins. They were all laughing and pointing at random students. Maya assumed that they were making rude jokes about their 'inferiors'. When Draco saw her, he looked like he was going to wave, but didn't. Instead he smirked and winked at her, almost like he was sending a secret message. Whatever it was, she didn't quite understand.

As the group began to head out, Maya glanced back to see that Potter wasn't joining them. She found this a bit odd. Maya knew nothing of Potter's life, and she had no desire to learn anything about his life, ever since he had insisted upon asking her why she chose to be friends with Draco. However, she did want to know what made him so famous, and seeing him again reminded her of a question she meant to ask Draco or Carol, whichever she could first.

"Er…Carol?"

"Hmm?" Carol was busy looking around at a bird that was fluttering overhead.

"What exactly is the…the story behind Harry Potter? I never really…found out. I just knew he was famous and that everyone — except for me, obviously — thinks he's some amazingly wonderful guy." Maya said quickly, but clearly, so she didn't have time to stutter. Carol looked at her and blinked, looking surprised. _Oh, great,_ Maya thought, her heart sinking, _I sounded like an idiot, didn't I?_

"You mean...you don't know?" Carol asked her. Maya shook her head. "I'm surprised Malfoy hasn't let it slip yet, considering how much he hates Potter." Carol paused and seemed to be searching for the right words to continue. "Well, when he was only about…oh, a year old, I believe, his parents were killed by a dark wizard who was called…erm…" she looked around and whispered out a few letters, "V — O — L — D — E — M — O — R — T."

Maya put the letters together and asked, "Voldemort?"

"Shhh! Don't say his name…bad enough I spelled it out…if Grandpa ever found out that I did that..." Carol shuddered. "Well, from here on I'm calling him 'You-Know-Who." She combed a strand of strawberry-blonde hair out of her eyes and went on. "Well, as I was saying…You-Know-Who was…well, he was out to kill the Potters. He made it to their house, killed the parents, but — and nobody really understands why or how — he couldn't kill their son, who was…well, Harry Potter. You see, Potter's the first person to survive a killing curse, and considering he was a baby…well, You-Know-Who disappeared after that, but people have different opinions on what happened to him."

"Such as?" Maya asked, feeling her satchel grow heavier all of the sudden, but she ignored it and fixed Carol with an intent and curious gaze.

"Well, a few still say that he's dead, and others aren't so sure…some are just silent on the matter all together. Nobody really likes to talk about it." Carol shrugged. Her brown eyes flicked over to where Draco was walking a few feet ahead. "I'd watch out for him, though. His family — the Malfoys — were followers of You-Know-Who back when the war was going on. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him."

"Uh- _huh_ ," Maya looked at Carol and raised an eyebrow dubiously, wondering just how true that story was.

Carol caught the look and said in a dead serious tone, "Listen, Maya. You may have interested Malfoy enough for him to hang out with you and let you be his friend, but don't forget for a minute that he's a Pureblood. He was raised to hate Muggle-borns like yourself and if anyone ever finds out about your friendship, it'll be pretty bad for him."

"Oh? What will happen?" Maya's worry was growing, especially as she became aware that they were approaching the exit to the grounds.

"He'll be labeled a blood-traitor and likely disowned by his own family and the others in the Pureblood community," Carol explained, "Malfoy would have disgraced his name, in a way. He'd lose his…gang in Slytherin and only God knows what his parents would do to him. As much as I don't trust the guy, I still don't want to think about how he'd suffer."

"So, let me get this straight," Maya frowned, switching her satchel from one shoulder to the other, "If anyone found out that Draco has been studying with me and hanging out with me, then he'd basically be disowned by his family and be considered an outcast by all the Purebloods?"

"Ummm, well, yeah, pretty much." Carol said, but she was starting to look uncomfortable with the subject. "All I'm saying is that you two should probably be careful about who knows about your friendship. Don't go telling anyone —"

"I'm not an idiot, Carol," Maya murmured, interrupting her. Neither said another word to each other for a good while.

As the group came upon the exit to school grounds, Maya tensed up and closed her eyes as they passed by, ignoring what sounded like a dementor swooping down over the children and scanning the crowd before heading away. Once they were well enough away that Maya didn't feel as depressed, she opened her eyes. Whenever the dementors were around, Maya always ended up remembering the drama going on with her family and every bad memory she had. It was painful.

Maya, as they all made their ways down the path to Hogsmeade, became aware of something squirming in her satchel. She looked around and when she decided that no-one was paying attention, she opened her satchel and found Aspen curled up on her back. When the light hit the little ferret-like animal, she blinked and fixed Maya with a pair of sleepy amber eyes. " _Aspen_!" Maya hissed, praying that none of the other students or any of the professors were nearby. "How did you get here?" Aspen's only response was a squeak and a yawn as she adjusted her position, using Maya's bag of money as a pillow.

"What's up?" Carol asked, looking at Maya with a very curious glint in her eyes.

"Erm — uh — n-nothing! Why do y-you ask?" Maya said quickly, letting go of the flap on her satchel and letting it fall shut again, hoping to muffle out the indignant squeal from Aspen. Carol didn't look convinced, and moved over to try and open Maya's satchel, but Maya was quicker than Carol and grabbed the Hufflepuff's wrist. She lowered her voice and explained, "Aspen got into my bag, somehow…"

"Aspen?" the realization dawned on Carol very slowly. "You mean —? Aspen as in your pet? Are we allowed to bring our pets? If I had known we were then I would have brought Simon."

"Simon?"

"My barn owl." Carol said. "But…I didn't see anything that mentioned bringing pets."

"Neither did I, but I didn't see anything against it either. She must have climbed into the bag either in the common room or when we were in the courtyard." Maya said, mostly to herself. "I can't let her go back now, she'll run off. Besides, we're…" Maya looked up, "…we're there already. She could never find her way back if I were to let her go."

"But," Carol stopped walking once Professor McGonnagall told them that they were free to explore the village, "we can't risk anyone seeing her. You could get in trouble. Besides, who knows what sort of havoc a pine marten could cause. Just don't take her out and we should be good."

"She's wrapped around my money, though! How am I supposed to get to it without taking her out?" Maya hissed, but if Carol was going to respond, she didn't, as Professor McGonnagall came over, looking suspicious. "Oh, h-hello, P-Professor…" she said quietly, feeling as if she was shrinking under Professor McGonnagall's stern gaze.

"And what are you two doing, hanging around here, while your classmates are all enjoying their time in the village?" McGonnagall asked. "There's nothing wrong, is there?"

"No, ma'am," replied Carol quickly, "Maya just thought she forgot something. But she didn't after all! We were just about to head to the, uh — post office! May we go now, Professor?" Maya was sure that if she said anything that it would mess up Carol's lie, so she kept her mouth shut and followed Carol away to the post office when McGonnagall told them to go.

Maya looked around at their surroundings, not sure what she thought of a village made up entirely of wizards. There were so many places that seemed to be very interesting, indeed. Maya saw a bookshop that looked intriguing, a quill shop, and a sweet shop called Honeydukes. At least, those were the ones that seemed the most interesting to her, but there were stores for practically everything you would need. Everything looked so lovely, and it was decorated for Halloween, too. Maya made a mental note to visit as many places here as possible, just to see what it was like inside.

The Hogsmeade Post Office was very interesting, indeed. When Carol and Maya went inside, there were owls of practically any breed you could think of, all lined on color coded shelves. It was fascinating how it worked, too. Maya and Carol had asked the store clerk and he explained everything to them, how the colors were coded based on how fast the owl would arrived, and how the smallest owls (tiny little Scops owls) were only for local deliveries. "Wow…" Carol and Maya had both said in unison.

When they left the post office after about half-an-hour later, Carol began to excitedly ask where they should go next. "Do you want to go to Honeydukes first, or Tomes and Scrolls? Or maybe Spintwitches Sporting Needs? I'm very interested in that shop. I want to look at the Quidditch supplies that they have, is it all right if we go there really quick?"

"Er — sure." Maya said and they started walking towards the shop, dodging people who were rushing around excitedly. "You know, you don't have to ask me where to go, it's up to you. I wanted to look in all of the shops anyways, so anywhere is fine with me." Carol was only half listening as the two stepped into the store and she rushed over to the nearest Quidditch related item, leaving Maya to wander around for a few minutes before joining the part of the shop where Carol was. "S-So, you didn't tell me how tryouts for the Quidditch team went. Did you get the spot you wanted?"

Carol looked embarrassed for a minute, "Uh…well, yes actually. You're looking at one of the new Hufflepuff Chasers. I can't wait for our first match. Honestly, I was a bit nervous at first. I didn't expect to be chosen, but the captain said that I had enough talent for it."

"Erm…great! Good for you." Maya said, though honestly she wasn't that interested in sports. "Say, umm…is it okay if I go ahead and go to Tomes and Scrolls? I really want a look inside. And then we can meet at Honeydukes maybe? And then head over to The Three Broomsticks for a break, sound good?" Maya suggested, talking quickly (again) so that she wouldn't end up stuttering.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure, go ahead." Carol said, picking up a kit of some sort and examining it.

Maya nodded to herself, switched her satchel back to the other shoulder (there was another indignant squeak from Aspen), and headed out into the chilly air, walking over to the bookshop. She was positive that she would find something that interested her there, which was better than being in a shop in which she found as interesting as a box of rocks. Tomes and Scrolls caught Maya's interest very quickly, just as she had suspected. Upon opening the door, she was greeted by the warm scent of books, ink, and parchment. It was a wonderfully welcoming scent, and she shivered in spite of the warm air inside.

Almost instantly, she set off down the various rows of shelves and picked up every book that she decided she wanted to read and took her stack of books over to a table that was set up in the shop, sitting down. She carefully set her satchel on the table, ignoring the sound of scrabbling paws, and opened one of the books to begin reading to see if she would like it as much as she thought she would.

The stack of books that she had picked up consisted of seven books, and of those seven books, she found three to actually interest her. She read a few chapters of each book and had chosen an eighth book off of the shelves. By the time she was ready to go, she had chosen four books from the pile that she actually wished to purchase, and she returned the other four to their proper places, picking up her satchel and the four books and taking them to where the clerk was, setting them on the table.

Maya reached into her satchel and reached underneath Aspen and grabbed her bag of money, managing to overpower her pet (who had wanted to engage in a game of tug of war) and pull out the appropriate amount of money and give it to the clerk. She stuffed the books into her satchel, forcing Aspen to adjust herself, and thanked the clerk, heading outside and over to Honeydukes, where she promised to meet Carol.

Honeydukes seemed to be a very popular place, as many of the students were gathered there, looking at the many sweets that there were to choose from. Maya had to push her way through a crowd of fifth years and over to where she saw Carol. Also standing next to Carol, was Lewis, a Ravenclaw a year ahead of them. He turned and smiled when Maya came up, "Oh, hello, Maya! Good to see you again. It's been a busy year so far, hasn't it? Especially for you two, what with all the new classes. I was just talking to Carol about that, actually."

"That's nice," said Maya, trying to sound happier than she felt. Although the bookshop and post office had been wonderful, Maya still didn't feel…happy, exactly. But, she, Carol, and Lewis all spent some money on a few sweets for later that night, but Maya had asked Carol to hold hers because of Aspen, who definitely did not need any candy. "Oh, erm…Lewis?"

"Yes?" he asked.

"We were about to head to the, uh — the…er — The Three Broomsticks. Would you like to join us?" Maya asked. Both she and Carol looked at him expectantly.

"Well…yes, that sounds nice, actually." Lewis said, and together the three of them went to The Three Broomsticks.

The Three Broomsticks, as expected, was just as nice and wonderful and welcoming as the rest of the shops that Maya had been into at Hogsmeade, only this was different from the rest. It was a pub, and Maya, Carol, and Lewis each ordered a glass of Butterbeer, paid, and took their seats at one of the tables. Maya thought that Hogsmeade had to have been the highlight of the year so far.

The three drank their drinks very slowly, making conversation with each other. Maya had let Aspen out onto her lap to stretch her legs, and she let Aspen have a sip of Butterbeer. Aspen's appearance had surprised Lewis, but he agreed to not to tell anyone on her. They had all been so wrapped up in conversation that by the time they finished their drinks it was already time to go, and Maya had a feeling that the trip to Hogsmeade that year wouldn't soon be forgotten, for Lewis, Maya, and Carol had all taken that trip to bond and form their own close circle, just the three of them.

* * *

The return trip to Hogwarts was much more cheerful than the trip to leave it had been. The dementors had still swooped down, and when they had, Maya felt her brain go blank and focus on the bad as it had done on the train, and by the time they had gotten back onto the school grounds, Maya felt emotionally exhausted and returned to her normal, quiet, stone-faced self.

After they had all dropped their things off in their dormitories, Maya and Lewis had gone down to the Ravenclaw table for the Halloween feast, taking the nearest empty spot they could. The tables had been rearranged at the start of the year and Ravenclaw's table — although it had stayed on the farther end of the Great Hall like the previous years — was now right next to the Slytherin table, providing Maya with a very clear view of Draco's jealous expression as he watched Maya and Lewis (mostly Lewis) talk.

Maya hadn't put very much on her plate, as she hadn't had much of an appetite in recent months. She only ate half of a small piece of chicken, leaving the rest on her plate without really thinking twice about it.

Usually she would slip something under the table for Aspen to eat, but Aspen had been wandering around the castle since their return from Hogsmeade, and Maya assumed that she would probably catch a few mice or squirrels for dinner instead of eating the food served for humans, which was healthier and more natural anyways. Maya had realized that since Aspen had been let free to roam the school grounds, that she had been looking much healthier.

"So, Carol told me that you've been hanging out with Malfoy recently. Claims you guys are friends." Lewis said, and Maya flinched when she noticed the bitterness in his voice. "Didn't I tell you that the guy was bad news? I'm surprised he's even taken the time to befriend you…he must have some reason behind it. I'd keep a sharp eye out if I —"

"Does someone need a motive for being someones friend?" Maya said through gritted teeth, wiping her mouth and hands with her napkin. Lewis looked taken aback and Maya didn't wait for his response. "I did hear you when you told me that he was 'bad news', but I don't need you to try and tell me who to be friends with, Lewis. Besides, it isn't up to you." Before Lewis could say anything, Maya abruptly stood up and told him, "I'm going to bed." and walked off, ignoring a few people who chose to protest her departure.

Maya didn't bother to look back as she left the Great Hall and marched back to Ravenclaw Tower, a look of fury plastered to her face. When she reached the top of the spiral staircase, the bronze eagle door-knocker asked, "When I'm young I am tall, when I'm old I am short, when I'm alive I glow, and because of your breath I die. What am I?"

"Uhh…a…a…a candle." Maya replied and the door to the Ravenclaw common room swung open, allowing Maya to go inside. Once Maya entered the common room, the door closed and Maya went directly to her dormitory, changing into her nightgown and crawling into her bed. Aspen hopped on top of Maya — much to her surprise — and curled up next to her. Maya felt her eyes grow heavy and close not long after that.

* * *

"Kensington! Get up!" Maya felt someone shaking her and opened her eyes to see Amelia staring down at her and looking very upset, possibly frightened.

"W-What's the matter?" she asked, sitting up and cradling Aspen like a baby. Amelia quickly pried Aspen from Maya's arms and sent her running. "H-Hey! What do you think you're doing!" Amelia said nothing, and instead grabbed Maya's arm and dragged her (quite violently) down the steps and into the common room, where everyone was gathered in their pajamas around Professor Flitwick and the Ravenclaw prefects.

"Ah, Miss Kensington, there you are. Well, I'm sorry to disturb you, but everything will be explained when we get down to the Great Hall." Professor Flitwick said. "Come along, now."

The walk down to the Great Hall was wrought with tension. You could practically smell the anxiety that was coming from the Ravenclaws as they marched in a close group. When they got to the Great Hall, all of the other Houses were there in their pajamas. It definitely wasn't a pleasant gathering, as everyone was confused and tired looking. The Gryffindors appeared the most anxious.

Professor Dumbledore was there and he soon explained to all of them that Sirius Black had been in the castle, and everyone needed to remain here, where it was safe, while the school was searched. Maya felt worse than she had before going to bed, and she felt so drained that is was hard to really pay attention to anything going on around her.

She remembered that Lewis and Carol found her in the crowd and took her over to where three sleeping bags were, and then she remembered staring up at the ceiling for the rest of the night, watching the brightly lit starry sky. Maya refused to fall asleep, but she could hear the soft snores and rhythmic breathing from everyone around her.

When dawn arrived, the ceiling slowly changed to a pinkish blue and Maya sat up, yawning so it looked like she had just woken up. Everyone remained asleep for a good while, and Draco was the next to rise. At this point Maya had gotten so used to the silence that she hadn't heard Draco walk over and tap her on the shoulder. She jumped and turned to look at him. "Oh, it's you…that's a relief. Good morning, I suppose?"

"Are you okay, Kensington?" Draco asked her, sitting down next to her.

Maya brought her hand up to where her necklace was and began to twirl it around her finger thoughtfully. "If I'm being completely honest with you Draco…no, I don't think that I am."

"Well, what's wrong?" Draco pressed.

"I don't know, I mean, I just…" she sighed, "…everything's falling apart…Draco, you have no idea how lucky you are to have two parents that spoil you constantly. Just remember that, o-okay?" Draco didn't say anything after that, and together the two sat in silence, side by side and watched the Great Hall light up as the sun continued to rise.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen (Year Three): Second Trip to Hogsmeade and Christmas Break

Everything seemed normal for the rest of the day, aside from the fact that Draco had kept staring at her with a look that was uncharacteristic of him. He still managed to be awful about practically everything and to practically everybody, but the expression he would give Maya looked like…concern, if that was possible to get from Draco Malfoy.

Defense Against the Dark Arts class was when things got a little bit out of the ordinary. The students themselves had arrived on time, but Professor Lupin was nowhere to be seen, and left them waiting for several minutes. It was a while before someone finally did show up, only it wasn't Professor Lupin. Instead, it was Professor Snape, who practically glided down one of the isles between the students' desks, using his wand to slam the windows shut and told them when he reached the other side and pulled down a screen of some sort, "Turn to page 394."

The students stopped what they were doing and obeyed, dropping whatever they were doing and searching for the correct page. Some were going about this slowly, while others found the page quickly and awaited the start of the lesson. Potter hadn't turned to his page yet, but he already had something to say, "Excuse sir," he said in a quiet voice, "where is Professor Lupin?"

"That's not really your concern, is it Potter?" Snape said coolly, walking down to the back of the classroom, saying to the class as he walked, "Suffice it to say that your professor finds himself incapable of teaching at the present time." The Potions professor reached the end of the classroom and stood beside a large projector, saying once again, "Turn to page _394_." and he tapped his wand on the projector to turn it on.

Maya had already reached the page and she stared at it in disbelief. When Weasley had reached the page — with some help from Professor Snape — he spoke out Maya's thoughts exactly. "Werewolves?!"

"But sir," said Hermione Granger suddenly. Maya jumped. Granger had not been sitting there when Maya and the rest of the class came in, and obviously Potter and Weasley thought the same thing. "We've just begun learning about red caps and hinkypunks. We aren't meant to start nocturnal beasts for weeks!"

" _Quiet_!" said Snape without acknowledging anything she had said. After a moment Snape began to walk down to the other end to stand beside the screen, which projected some sort of old drawing. "Now, which one of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf." As always, Granger's hand went up before anyone else's. Snape didn't bother noticing, "No-one? How disappointing."

Granger's hand had gone down, but she still spoke anyways, "Please, sir. An Animagus is a wizard who elects to turn into an animal, a werewolf has no choice. With each full moon, when he transforms, he no longer remembers who he is. He'd kill his best friend if he crossed his path. Furthermore, the werewolf only responds to the call of its own kind."

Maya was listening intently, but a sudden howl made her flinch, "Awwooooo!" and then laughter followed it. No need to try and guess who _that_ was…

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy…" Snape told Draco, then turned his attention to Granger. "That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger. Tell me, are you incapable of restraining yourself or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all?" Maya, while she thought that Snape was rather harsh, really did think that he had a point. Granger constantly needed to be right, apparently. It was as if she was so insecure that she wouldn't let anyone else answer the questions asked, and when she herself answered, she sounded like she ate the textbook for breakfast. "Five points from Gryffindor." Snape informed them, and Maya felt that it was a bit deserved.

"As an antidote to your ignorance," Snape continued, "and on my desk by Monday morning, two rolls of parchment on the werewolf, with particular emphasis on _recognizing_ _it_." There were groans from everyone in the class, especially the Gryffindors.

"But, sir, it's Quidditch tomorrow!" Potter said, and Snape was on his desk almost instantly, staring right into Potter's face.

"Then I suggest you take extra care, Mr. Potter. Loss of limb will not excuse you." Snape told him. And then, without looking up from Potter's desk, he said once more, "Page 394…" and then he began to walk amongst the class, telling them, "The term werewolf is a contraction of the Anglo-Saxon word 'were' which means man and wolf. Werewolf. Man-wolf." Maya wasn't surprised that werewolves were in fact real, but she was quite disturbed. "There are several ways to become a werewolf. They include the power of shape-shifting, being bitten by a werewolf…"

Something brushed against Maya's ear and landed on her desk in front of her. It was a piece of paper in the shape of a bird. She looked around the room for who had thrown it and saw Potter holding a paper, but he didn't look like the culprit. Then she looked back at Draco sitting behind her, and he was glancing up at her every so often. Maya narrowed her eyes suspiciously but she unfolded the paper and read what was written on it:

 _Meet me in the courtyard after classes today._

 _-_ _DM_

Maya bit her lip and quickly folded the paper into her robe's pocket, listening to the rest of Snape's lesson on werewolves.

* * *

At lunch was when she realized just how awful she really felt. Maya was sitting at the table, not really caring to eat, really only reading and sipping on some water. Maya didn't have much success with trying to focus on her book, as her mind kept traveling to the cause of her recent bad mood: the letters from her family.

She had received the letter earlier that morning, and it had been very difficult for her to not cry in front of her classmates. One letter was from her grandparents, mother, and one of her brothers saying that Maya's parents' divorce had been finalized, and that they didn't blame her for what had happened, whatever it was that the 'others' said.

The second letter had been quite the opposite. The second letter was actually one letter written by three people (her father, her eldest brother, and her sister) and sealed in one envelope. It said how she should be ashamed of being a witch, how she shouldn't have threatened Mitchell (which she did not do).

Maya blamed herself for the family breaking apart like this, as her father and sister pointed out in their letter that she _should_ blame herself. _If I had never been a witch_ , she bit her lip as she thought about all of this, _then our family would still be together_.

 _But, a voice in the back of her mind piped up. If you hadn't been a witch, then you wouldn't have met Carol, or Lewis…_ there was a pause and then the voice said, … _or Draco_.

Once again, Maya felt herself torn between her longing for life as a regular human being and her love for life as a witch. Both seemed natural, and both had people that she loved and cared about. If she had never been a witch then her family would be together, but she wouldn't have the friends that she did now, however to have those friends she ended up splitting up a relationship of over twenty years.

The thought of her current life and the thought of life without any of the people she cared for made her more depressed and moody than she had been before. _No wonder Pure-bloods hate Muggles and Muggle-borns_ , she thought, unable to stop herself from sneering and glancing over at the Slytherin table. _We're all out of our minds..._

* * *

After classes, Maya had done as Draco asked and went to the courtyard, which was pretty much empty of any other students, aside from a few older Ravenclaws and Slytherins that were studying on opposite sides of said courtyard. Maya reminded herself that studying outside was — while frustrating at times — actually quite relaxing.

She checked her watch. Dinner would be in about an hour and a half, so where was Draco?

As if on cue, Draco stepped out into the courtyard and headed directly for Maya. He looked like he was holding something in his arms, something that looked oddly like Aspen. "Kensington," Draco said, sounding a bit harsh, when he reached Maya, "didn't I give you that lead so that you could keep an eye on her?" What he was saying sounded rehearsed, but Maya was too focused on wondering how Aspen (as it was in fact Aspen) had gotten caught by Draco.

"W-Where did you find her?" Maya asked, reaching out her arm for Aspen to climb onto her shoulder, but Aspen instead clambered onto Draco's shoulder, much to his annoyance.

"Arrghh…I didn't find her, Crabbe did. In the Slytherin common room. And I hope you know how much effort it took to convince them that I needed to take it back outside and return it to wherever it is it came from." Draco sounded agitated, especially when Aspen moved from his shoulders to his head. "Anyways," he huffed, giving up on removing the marten from his head, "I figured you could use some air. No offense, but…you're looking quite pale. Are you okay?"

Maya started walking and Draco followed quickly. She looked at the sky, the sunset painting it a golden-purple color. "I wish everyone would stop asking me that," she sighed, "I'm fine. Just because I'm 'looking pale', I mean, you're one to talk, Draco." Maya saw his slightly hurt and taken-aback expression and she quickly apologized, "Look, I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't mean it as…an insult…well, I mean, n-not at first, I didn't — it just — it came out as an insult and —"

"Why do you do that?" Draco asked her, looking relieved when Aspen jumped down from his head and began to frolic in front of them, but she still stayed within view.

"Do…do what?" Maya asked, trying to figure out what he could mean.

"You stumble over your words, you're always correcting things you say. And you bite your lip whenever you're nervous, thinking, or concentrating hard on something." Draco told her.

Maya stared at him, surprised, making sure that she didn't bite her lip, although she was sure that she did anyways. "And how would _you_ know?" she asked, a little more harshly than she intended it to be. Hopefully he wouldn't notice the guilty flash in her eyes.

Draco scoffed, "It doesn't take a Ravenclaw to be smart and observant, dearest Kensington. Also — and I can't believe that I'm saying this to a _Muggle-born_ — you're my friend, and friends…notice things about each other, if that makes sense?" When Maya looked suspicious, Draco went on, "I've known you for three years, Kensington, and I think I can tell when something's bothering you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Well, that depends…Do you want to hear it?" Maya didn't look at him, and when she did finally glance his way he gave a nod for her to continue. "Oh-kaay. My Muggle father decided to divorce my mum — also a Muggle — and my two oldest siblings went with him. Now, they're sending me nasty letters talking about how it's all my fault for being a witch and threatening my brother, which, mind you, I did not do." she paused to take a breath, making sure that Draco was still listening. "So, yes, you were right. Something is bothering me, Draco."

"Wait, hold on," Draco asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're telling me that your father basically…just walked out on his marriage, took two of his possibly brainwashed children with him, and now they're sending you nasty letters all because —"

"— I'm Muggle-born, Draco." Maya sighed, feeling a bit better after getting that off her chest. "It just feels like…everything that happened is because I'm a witch. I didn't ask for this, Draco. I didn't even want to go to Hogwarts. I come here and I'm shunned because of my heritage and then I go home and I'm shunned by half my family because…well, I guess the same reason — my blood." Draco mumbled something that sounded like 'I'm sorry'. Maya felt a jolt and looked at him, "W — what did you just say?"

"I said…I'm sorry." Draco shrugged, looking as if just by saying these words it was physically painful.

Maya couldn't help stop the grin that was tugging at the corners of her lips. He looked kind of funny, trying to look as normal as he could. Instead it looked like he had gotten a bad flavor from Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (which Carol had pranked Maya with the last summer holidays). She remembered something Draco had said earlier and spun around on her heels, walking backwards and looking at Draco with a cocky smirk. "So…I'm your friend? I didn't know you had any."

"Oh, shove off, Kensington." Draco gave her a light shove, but his eyes sparkled playfully.

Maya couldn't hold back a laugh, and in the following moments of conversation she forgot all about her parents and the mess that had been going on in her family. She and Draco continued to joke and tease each other before they noticed the sky darkening and that was when they raced each other back to the castle and into the Great Hall. All through dinner the two would glance across the two House tables at each other and grin like idiots every time they did.

It was like a weight had been lifted off of Maya's chest, and she was able to get a good-night's sleep; the first one free of her family troubles and the dementors that brought those family troubles back into focus.

* * *

"This is nerve-wracking!" Carol practically shrieked at breakfast the next day. "What if I mess up? I could commit a foul, or — or…can Chasers even commit fouls? What fouls are there a Chaser can do…?"

Maya — along with Lewis — had been forced to put up with Carol's fretting ever since they joined the Hufflepuff table to wish the Quidditch team luck. Gryffindor was supposed to be playing against Slytherin, but Draco was still whining about his arm hurting (though Maya was sure that he was lying), so _Hufflepuff_ would be playing Gryffindor instead.

The game itself was confusing enough as it was — to Maya at least — without having the schedules changed up as well. Honestly, the only reason Maya showed an interest was to show support to one of three things: her House, Draco, and now Carol. No other reasons. She didn't really pay attention at the games anyways, but she knew Carol would feel bad if Maya didn't show up. Never mind the fact that it was _pouring rain_ outside and there was _thunder and lightning_.

"If you ask me," Maya mumbled, lifting her goblet of water and taking a sip, "this whole game is rather…well…I don't know. I'm just wondering, who thinks it's a good idea to play a game of any sort in the middle of a thunderstorm? It's cold and it's dangerous! The Slytherins are smart to not want to play, if you want my opinion." Lewis and Carol stared at her like she had three heads and she awkwardly cleared her throat, muttering, "Sorry…" and twisting the chain on her necklace.

Before too long it was time for the game to begin. Students from every House were gathered with umbrellas or rain-coats to watch the Quidditch game. Maya had tried to convince Draco to watch the game with her and Lewis, but he refused, reminding her that if anyone was to see him hanging out with one Muggle-born, let alone two, his family would likely disown him. This had disappointed Maya, but she could tell that Lewis was pleased with Draco's absence.

Maya and Draco would probably meet later in the Library for more studying, which had really been the only time they could actually talk. It had been like this for weeks, and by now they both new pretty much everything they could about the other, however, the only negative effect this had was that they never got much real studying done unless someone would tell them to stop talking or laughing and they'd be forced to return to their reading.

The rain was like icy, wet bullets that were pouring from the sky. Some of them stung when they hit Maya's face, as the wind was incredibly strong that day. Both Quidditch teams seemed to be doing well, though Hufflepuff seemed to be beating Gryffindor. The lightning and rain didn't seem to help either team, as it looked like it was taking a lot of effort to keep their brooms on the right track.

"Do you think that Carol will be okay?" Maya was questioning Lewis in a raspy shout, as her vocal cords weren't normally used for shouting and it was odd to do it now, but she had to make sure that Lewis could hear her properly.

"Oh, yes," Lewis reassured her, raising his voice over the wind, rain, and thunder like Maya had been forced to do. "Quidditch is…well, the teachers wouldn't let them play if they weren't safe. I'm sure that Dumbledore has taken all the proper precautions!" Maya squinted against the rain and forced a smile, as if she actually felt better about this. It was sheer madness!

Ultimately the match ended after Potter, the Gryffindor Seeker, was attacked by a few dementors. Maya had squeezed her eyes shut to ignore a few dementors that had come hovering up to the stands. When they were gone and Maya was calm enough to look up again, it turned out Hufflepuff had won, as the Seeker, Cedric Diggory, had caught the snitch before he realized Potter had fallen off of his broom.

Dumbledore had chased the dementors back to the school entrances, and Maya decided that she hated Dementors.

* * *

"Kensington, come on!" whined Draco, Aspen perched on his shoulder. "You could use some sun, you've been looking pale and quite ill, recently. It'll do you some good."

Ever since the dementors had dared to defy their orders and enter the school grounds, Maya had refused to leave the safety of the castle. It had been several weeks, likely several months, as Christmas was already approaching them. Draco had tried to convince her to come outside, Carol and Lewis had tried, even Aspen was giving her this wide-eyed, pleading stare. It was hard to refuse them and so she opted for confiding her feelings to Draco, "But, what if the Dementors come back onto the school grounds?"

"Oh, honestly!" Draco rolled his eyes. "Is _that_ what you're worried about? Why does it matter so much to you, anyways? Are you going to just abandon all of your friends — and even Aspen, here — because you're scared of a bunch of Dementors? God, you're such a wimp…"

"Will you shut up, _Malfoy_?" Maya snapped, and Draco's face went blank and he blinked a few times, surprised. Aspen moved from one of his shoulders, to the other and stared at Maya with the same look. Maya felt a bit guilty, but was too upset to think about it. She groaned and pressed her fingers to her temple. "Look, your father isn't abusive because you're different than him, you don't have any siblings, so you couldn't be treated awfully because you're different, your parents aren't divorcing because you're different, and you don't walk around with constant guilt. Okay?"

Draco found his voice as the surprise from Maya's lashing out began to ebb away, "So? What has that got to do with anything?"

Maya rolled her eyes, "You're an idiot!" she buried her head in her hands. "Is it even possible for someone to be both smart and stupid at the same time? Because I'm starting to wonder if you're proof that it is…" Once she recovered from that brief bit of questioning, she sighed and went on. "Draco, I already feel responsible for my parents divorcing, especially after I got that letter from my dad, my brother, and my sister. They blame me, and they hate me because I'm a witch, Draco. Because I'm different." Maya made sure he was listening before she continued once more, "Whenever the Dementors are around, I feel all that guilt and sadness and the verbal abuse from my dad and siblings come back in full force. That's why I fell asleep on the train."

"But — you said that you weren't awake when the dementors searched the train." Draco narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You lied?"

"Well, no — uh — yes. I did." Maya frowned. "I don't want to feel sad, Draco. If the dementors are willing to do it that time, I'm sure they'd probably do it again, and I don't want that weight on my shoulders anymore. It hurts."

Draco took a few slow steps toward her and Aspen climbed down his arm to bounce onto Maya's shoulder and rub her head against Maya's cheek. Maya chuckled and looked up at Draco, who had took a seat next to her. "You don't have to be alone, Kensington. You do have people who care about you. There's Manchester, and that annoying Ravenclaw boy you hang out with, Aspen… _me_." Maya didn't say anything in response, she just listened. "The point is, Kensington. You don't have to do everything by yourself. Sooner or later you're going to have to go outside and face the things that you're scared of."

Maya thought of facing said fears and it only made her feel a bit worse than she already did. Draco put a hand on hers and then he slid the sleeves on her now oversized robes up to reveal her pale, unusually thin wrist. Draco's face went very serious. "Kensington, when was the last time you ate?"

"Erm," she bit her lip. She hadn't realized she'd been losing that much weight, but she was aware that she was getting a bit pale and thin. Maya just hadn't had much of an appetite recently, so she hadn't chosen to eat anything. "I guess…the last _real_ meal that I had was…around…it was dinner, on Halloween."

"Okay, then," Draco pulled her to her feet with ease. "You and I are taking a little trip to the hospital wing, to see Madam Pomfrey."

* * *

"This is stupid..." Maya kept her arms crossed, her Ravenclaw scarf wrapped around her neck. Christmas break was coming up and another trip to Hogsmeade had been planned for the students. Maya had originally not planned to go, as it meant walking near the dementors, but Draco had gone with her and helped her through that.

After the trip to the hospital wing, Maya had to explain to Madam Pomfrey _and_ Professor Flitwick everything that was going on at home, with the divorce and how she blamed herself, and how the dementors made her feel worse. Madam Pomfrey prescribed lots of exercise and fresh-air as well as a lot of moral support, and Professor Flitwick said that he would speak with Professor Dumbledore and Professor Lupin about a way to ward off the dementors in case they entered the grounds again, but she knew it was just to reassure her. They had also insisted that she bring chocolate wherever she went, as it would make her feel much better whenever dementors were near.

Flitwick had also sent a letter to Maya's mother, informing her of what had happened with Maya not eating, her loss of sleep, and her self-blame. It was quite embarrassing when she had letters from her grandparents and her mother and brother, each one apologizing for making her feel upset like this, but she didn't want to read them. She just had Draco or Carol or Lewis read them and give her the basic highlights of the letters.

So, after several weeks, Maya had gained enough weight for Draco, Lewis, and Carol to stop barking at her, but Draco was still bound and determined to have her 'healthy' by Christmas break, much to her dismay. Maya reluctantly agreed to go to Hogsmeade, but she had planned to just stay in the library and read. She preferred spring months, and the cold, snowy weather wasn't something she was quite ready for.

"I wanted to stay in the library and read, Draco." Maya told him, blowing out a puff of air.

"Well, we'll just hang out at The Three Broomsticks then." Draco shrugged. "I know you brought a book with you, so you can just sit inside a nice warm pub, sip a nice warm Butterbeer, and we can talk or you can read. Ultimately, we both win."

"Oh?" Maya raised an eyebrow. "How so? No, tell me how we both win because of this dumb trip in the snow."

"Stop being such a grouch, Kensington," Draco snorted, wrapping an arm around her shoulder when she shivered. "We both win, because I get a trip outside with you and you get fresh air, warm food, and some reading time. I'm doing this all for you, you know?"

"I'm surprised your being this friendly with me in public, Draco." Maya said quietly. "What if your friends see us hanging out together? Won't that ruin your status or something?"

Draco shrugged, "Well, if they find us I can just say that I lied and that you're a Half-Blood or something. It wouldn't be the first time someone in our House has lied about someone just so they won't be alone in the bullying."

Maya's eyes widened. By now they had reached The Three Broomsticks and Draco had opened the door for her to go in. She was greeted by a warm rush of air and shivered the last of the cold away as she asked Draco, "People actually do that? They lie because they're too scared to face someone on their own?" Draco paused as they took a seat at a table by the window and he nodded. Maya scoffed, setting her satchel in the seat next to her and opened it up to pull out her book that she was reading. "That's absolutely ridiculous!" Maya said, removing her bookmark and beginning to read.

"What are you reading, Kensington?" Draco asked after several minutes of drinking Butterbeer in silence. Maya remembered that it was a Muggle book that she was reading, a book she grew up on. Definitely not something a Pureblood wizard would have ever heard of.

"Oh, _Black Beauty_." Maya responded as casually as she could, taking a sip of Butterbeer. It was actually nice to know something that someone else didn't, at least at this school, that is.

" _Black Beauty_?" Draco echoed, almost curiously, as he wrinkled his nose as if he was trying to look disgusted and uninterested. "What ever is that?"

"Well, it's about a horse, see." Maya explained. "Basically this horse grew up on a farm, but he was sold several times. It basically documents his friendships throughout his lifetime and how each different owner affected his life." Draco looked a bit curious about this, but he didn't ask much. "Would you like to read it sometime? Perhaps even now? I've read it about a dozen times already!"

"Maybe some other time." Draco glanced at a clock hanging on the wall. "I have to go. I promised I'd meet Crabbe and Goyle and we'd go check out the Shrieking Shack. I'll see you later tonight to study for a few hours before dinner, that is, if I don't see you again today. It's pretty hard to lose those two. I'll give them credit for their loyalty, I suppose, it's just a bit annoying when you have two people who do the exact same thing that you do _all the time_." He got up and put his hat and coat back on, "Maybe I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, sure. Have fun, I guess." Maya watched as he left the pub, and she finished the rest of her drink slowly and read while she drank. A few minutes after she finished her drink, she decided that she would go for a walk through the village, just to see what it was like. Then she would probably go down to the Shrieking Shack, just to see why everyone seemed so obsessed with it.

She got up, packed her book back into her bag and then proceeded to put her coat on, then her scarf and hat. She slung the satchel black over her shoulder, slipped her gloves on and then walked out of the pub, back into the cold snow. She shivered as a few snowflakes flew into her eyes, followed by a cold wind. When she wiped the flakes out of her eyes and looked around, she noticed just how lovely it actually looked.

There were Christmas decorations everywhere, strung up on lights and doorways. Maya didn't know how she had missed it all before! With the way that the snow was falling the whole village looked like something off of a Christmas card, or something out of a fantasy novel. It was stunning. Maya sat down on a bench and studied everything around her. If only she had a camera right now.

It was a good hour and a half before Maya started towards the direction of the Shrieking Shack, walking through the woods that lead there. Very slowly, she was beginning to appreciate the snow and its beauty, which was something she had never done before. Draco had been right. The fresh air and getting outside made her feel much better, and she had time to think about the last few weeks.

She was going to make sure that she didn't blame herself for her parents' divorce, as it made her much happier in the end. Maya had no idea why she didn't think like this from the start, and why she needed a trip to Hogsmeade in the snow to realize this. _Funny how you think about certain things in completely unrelated settings_ , she thought, rolling her eyes to herself.

As Maya got nearer to the Shrieking Shack, she heard a few people shouting something in the distance, but figured it was just some students being weird or something. Then there was silence, only the faint sound of snowflakes falling and adding to the blanket of snow that was already there. Then she heard what sounded like footsteps running through the snow, but she couldn't tell where they were coming from. Maya turned to look behind her as the running came closer.

Next thing she knew, someone had collided with her and she squeezed her eyes shut as she fell backwards into the powdery snow. When she opened her eyes again, she saw just who had run into her. In fact they came face to face with each other, their noses about an inch or two apart from each other, both with wide eyes and shocked expressions. "Draco? What're y-you —"

But neither Maya or Draco moved for a while, until the faint, dull thudding of more footsteps could be heard and Draco quickly scrambled up, looking paler than he normally did. He helped Maya to her feet and they dusted themselves off. "S-sorry about that, Kensington, I — what are you doing out here?" he glanced around fearfully. The footsteps weren't too close yet.

"I was just on my way to the Shrieking Shack when you —"

"Don't go there!" Draco said quickly, cutting her off. Maya looked at him questioningly. "That place is terrifying, and if you tell anyone that I said that then I'll take that ferret-thing that you have and tie her in a tree." Maya rolled her eyes at his immature and empty threat. It was a bit unnerving to see Draco Malfoy looking _this_ terrified of something.

"What happened to you?" Maya couldn't help but grin. It was kind of funny seeing him like this. It was also rather nice to see Mr. High-And-Mighty come off his throne and get what was coming to him.

"I'll tell you about it later, because right now —" Draco was cut off as the footsteps came to a stop next to them, and Crabbe and Goyle stood there, panting pathetically.

"What — what are you doing talking to a — a Mudblood, Malfoy?" panted Crabbe, an obvious look of disgust on his face.

Maya expected Draco to insult her or something, but instead he just told his friend, "Shut it, Crabbe. Now, c'mon. Let's get as far away from that shack as possible…" and Maya watched them leave, holding back the urge to laugh at Crabbe and Goyle's stupid, frightened expressions. But after they had left, she remembered the embarrassing situation with Draco when he had bumped into her and she blushed. That kept her from laughing all right...

Later, before dinner and after they had all returned from Hogsmeade, Draco filled Maya in on what had happened at the Shrieking Shack and Maya felt the urge to laugh. "Do you find my humiliation amusing or something, Kensington?" he asked her and Maya shook her head.

"No, but I'm imagining something invisible throwing a snowball at you. Also…Crabbe's pants falling down…and you getting dragged down a hill…" Maya began to laugh uncontrollably and Draco smacked her shoulder with a book laying on the table, which only made her laugh even more.

What Maya didn't know, was that Draco actually liked seeing her laugh, even if it was at his expense...

* * *

 _During Christmas Break..._

Draco had returned home for Christmas Break and was greeted rather warmly by his two parents, especially his mother. As always he had been showered with gifts come Christmas morning, and he wasn't complaining about any of the things he had received, but something had been bugging him ever since he had left school, and he was desperately awaiting a moment when he could speak with his mother alone. She would understand more than his father would, as she had raised him with surprisingly compassionate beliefs compared to other Pureblood families, though she still was strict about a proper Pureblood upbringing.

Finally, a time came when Draco's father was busy in his study, likely doing something for his job at the Ministry of Magic, though Draco didn't know and didn't bother (nor did he care) to ask, as he knew he would likely be instantly shut down and turned away, or his father would explain something incredibly boring to him. Either way, he was better off continuing his search for his mother.

He knew that on days like this, his mother enjoyed reading in the parlor, so maybe he could find her there. Draco walked briskly through the house to the parlor downstairs and knocked on the door, which was slightly ajar. He heard his mother's voice call, "Come in." With a sigh of relief that he had found her, Draco wasted no time pushing the door open and entering the parlor, shutting it behind him. "Draco? What is the matter, you look…troubled."

"Mother…may I talk to you about something, please?" Draco was always a proper gentleman around his mother, as that would be what she was expecting him to be. He wanted at least one parent to show that they were actually proud of him. Draco's father had a hard time doing that, though on rare occasions he might say something. Draco took the seat next to his mother that she had offered him and he waited until she had closed the book and set it on the coffee table in front of them. "First, I need you to be…open-minded, I suppose would be the word that I'm looking for?"

Draco's mother nodded, looking deeply concerned for him at this point. "I'll try my best, Draco. Now, what's wrong?"

"I…well, there's this girl at Hogwarts that I met during my first year. We were friends then, but things sort of fell apart during our second year. Now, we sort of…repaired the friendship and…well, I didn't want to admit it…but I think that…" Draco trailed off, feeling more nervous than he normally did. The intriguing Ravenclaw girl. When the studied together, he admired her intelligence and her timidness, for some reason, and ever since the second trip to Hogsmeade, seeing her laugh like that. He found himself feeling strange and if it was what he thought it was. So, he decided not to sugar-coat it, "Mother…I think that I…might be in love with…" he lowered his voice and ended with a quiet mumble, "…a Mudblood…" The word Mudblood tasted bitter all of a sudden, but he couldn't let his mother think that he'd completely thrown his upbringing out the window.

His mother stared at him long and hard, with an unreadable expression on her face. Draco began to panic, and it was like this for several minutes. "A Mudblood, Draco? Really, of all things…" she bit her tongue and picked up his hand, examining the silver ring from Kensington. "Is she the same girl that you said gave you this ring?"

Draco nodded.

"And the one that you've mentioned in your letters?"

Again, Draco nodded.

"Well," she set his hand down, "while I don't exactly approve — and if your father found out, then neither would he — I see no problem with this. It is after all, your choice what you do with your life." Draco felt a bit relieved. "However," and his heart sank again as his mother went on, picking her book back up, "I suggest that you not act on these…feelings that you have until…well, until much later, Draco. Do you understand?"

"Yes, mother…" Draco said.

"Listen, Draco," his mother said with a sigh. "Does she make you happy? Do you…enjoy seeing her happy? Do you value her friendship?"

"Well…not at first, but when we started hanging out together in the library…well…it started to change…so…yes, I suppose that I do." Draco confessed.

His mother nodded and opened the book back up to the spot she had been at. "Then that's good enough for me. I just want you to be happy, Draco, even if it doesn't always seem that way." Draco smiled to himself and got up to leave and his mother added, "Oh, Draco," he turned to look at her. "I'd advise you not to tell your father about this. I doubt he'd approve of it like I do. Understand? It will be just between us for now."

"Yes, mother." Draco nodded and left the parlor. He felt much happier now, knowing that his mother didn't mind his friendship or…well…it could be called a crush, now. The important thing was is that he felt much better with that off of his chest, but he wondered if Kensington would ever feel the same about him. Draco anxiously awaited the end of Christmas Break, just so he could see Kensington again.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen (Year Three): Blood is Blood (End of Year Three)

Maya had noticed that Draco was prancing about the school as if he owned the place, or rather, he was doing it more-so than usual. So one day, while they were studying for the end of year exams, Maya paused in her reading of an Astronomy book and looked at Draco, who was currently focused on a book about Potions, though he would occasionally scribble something down on a roll of parchment. He seemed to notice her watching him and he looked up curiously, but said in his usual, grouchy tone, "What're you staring at, Kensington?"

"Nothing," Maya said, returning to the book, but Draco didn't look convinced. "I was just wondering why you seem so...happy lately?"

"Oh! I just remembered that I never told you about that..." Draco grinned. "You remember that Care of Magical Creatures class, right? The one with that ugly chicken?" Maya tried to remember what chicken he was talking about, as they had never worked with any magical chickens, but then Maya realized that he was referring to Buckbeak, the hippogriff, and she nodded for him to continue. "Well, Father was not too pleased about that little accident, so he pressed charges against the animal. Of course, that stupid oaf — Hagrid — couldn't dance his way out of a paper bag and was unable to defend the hippogriff properly."

"And? Did they take him away or something?" Maya asked, still wondering how you could press charges against an animal.

"No, of course not," Draco frowned slightly. "He's been sentenced to death. They have someone coming to Hogwarts on the sixth of June to execute him. Funny, that's a day after my birthday…going to probably be the best one yet, and — Hey! Where're you going, Kensington?" Maya, feeling a bit sick to her stomach, had started to pack up her bags.

"I'm going back to my dormitory to study by myself. I find it a bit odd how you find killing an innocent animal to be so…pleasing." Maya said, turning to leave and walk away, but Draco grabbed her wrist. He was taller and much stronger than she was, so Maya's squirming and pulling didn't free her. Draco looked a bit hurt, almost.

"It's not like I'm the one killing it! It's just a dumb animal, Kensington, what's gotten into you?" Draco asked, his frown deepening to more of a scowl and a pout mixed together, if you could even pull that off.

"You provoked it! You're such a pompous, attention seeking idiot that you provoked an animal. So, when it attacks you, you go crying to your daddy and get it executed! That's wrong, Draco, and I don't care if you're my friend, I'm going to tell you the truth whether you like it or not!" Maya hissed. She loved animals, and she hated that Buckbeak was going to be executed.

Draco, taken aback by her snapping, let go of her wrist ever so slowly and watched her walk away. Maya had expected more of a fight, but was pleased that he didn't follow after her like she had been expecting him to do.

Maya felt sorry for Hagrid, so she did something she had never done before: she headed down to the gamekeeper's hut to visit Hagrid, feeling somewhat responsible for what had happened. After all, Draco had said that he had approached Buckbeak like he had because he was jealous of Potter and he wanted to impress Maya.

It wasn't a long walk down to Hagrid's home, though Maya figured that that had something to do with the fact that she was absolutely furious with Draco at the time. Maya saw Aspen out of the corner of her eye, jumping down from a tree and racing over to Maya, climbing up onto Maya's shoulder and letting out a soft chittering sound as soon as Maya reached Hagrid's front door and knocked on it lightly.

The door swung open to reveal Hagrid, who looked down at her with confusion. "Kensin'ton? What're ye doing' 'ere? It's gettin' late, yeh know?"

"Erm…uh…y-yes, uhrm, Professor." Maya stammered. "I-I brought Aspen over b-because…well, she's been acting kind of funny…erm…lately…" she lifted Aspen off her shoulder and Aspen squealed indignantly. "I-I-I was wondering if y-you could take a look at her?" It was a very stupid excuse, especially considering that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Aspen, at least, nothing visibly wrong. Really, Maya just needed an excuse for talking to Hagrid.

The extremely burly man stepped aside and allowed Maya to step into his home. It was fairly small, at least for someone like Hagrid, but it was cozy. Maya carefully handed Aspen over to Hagrid and he took the marten (who was struggling and chattering very loudly as she was passed to a stranger) and set her down on his table so he could look at her.

In the corner of the hut was a large grayish creature that Maya recognized as Buckbeak. He appeared to be chewing on something that resembled the remains of a ferret, and Maya glanced nervously over at Hagrid and Aspen as the hippogriff looked up curiously and eyed Aspen with a gleam in his eye. Maya, without looking away from Buckbeak, made conversation with Hagrid as best as she could, "I take it that…um…that's Buckbeak. I — er…I heard about what happened, and I'm sorry he's going to be executed…"

Hagrid was likely examining Aspen very closely, as he responded in a sort of distracted way, "Yeh, Hermione, Ron, an' Harry 'ave been helpin' 'e with 'is trial and all," he sounded a bit teary. "I don' know why yer apologizin'. It was Malfoy that done it, not you."

"I-I know, P-Professor," she said respectfully, "but I feel a bit responsible for it. Kind of like…well, I-I know this is going to sound stupid, but kind of like he…did it because of me. Well, I-I mean, he said that he…had wanted to impress me..."

"Now, you look 'ere," Hagrid said, dropping what appeared to be a magnifying glass of some sort on the table. Maya risked taking her eyes off of Buckbeak (who had returned to eating) and she looked at Hagrid, like he had sort of asked for her to do. "Jus' because 'e said that 'e did it for you, don' thin' for a second that I blame anyone other than Malfoy." Hagrid returned to examining Aspen. "Yeh can' force people to do stupid and hateful things, they do it on their own."

"Would…would it be all right if I were to…well, see if Buckbeak will let me pet him?" Maya asked after a few moments of silence. Hagrid nodded ever so slowly, and Maya carefully walked over a few feet in front of where the hippogriff was laying and bowed slightly, looking up at him in wait. Buckbeak looked up from his ferret and tilted his eagle-like head. For a few moments they just stared at each other, but finally, Buckbeak lowered his head in a sort of bow motion and Maya carefully crouched down beside his head, stroking his feathers gently.

"Very good!" Hagrid sounded impressed with her. "Les' see 'ere…I'll give 10 points teh Ravenclaw! Yeh know, yer pretty good with animals..." Maya blushed as she patted Buckbeak on the head. Even though it was pretty set that Gryffindor would be winning the House Cup this year, it was nice for Hagrid to award Ravenclaw a few extra points.

After Hagrid finished with Aspen, he handed her back to Maya, "There yeh go. As far as I can see there isn' anything wrong with 'er." Maya nodded a thank you and began to leave, but Hagrid spoke again in a gruff voice just as she reached the door, "Say, why do yeh hang aroun' that Malfoy kid anyways? Yeh know, considerin' that yer a Muggle-born an' all…"

"Well…he's actually…s-surprisingly kind when you get to know him. He's not that prejudiced, if people would just give him a chance," Maya told him as confidently as she could manage. "I'm sorry that Dra — I-I mean, Malfoy caused Buckbeak to get in trouble. I really am, and I don't agree with it, but he is my friend…"

"An' I ain't askin' yeh to change that, I'm jus' askin' yeh to be careful 'bout who yeh trust. Them Malfoy's are bad news…" Hagrid (sort of) advised her. Maya only nodded and apologized about Buckbeak once more and then left so she could get back to the castle before dinner.

* * *

It was several days after the exams had ended. Summer was approaching quickly and the weather had been getting nice enough for more time outside. A lot of outdoor activities came with the new heat, and many students would relax by the lake with some iced pumpkin juice, while some would even wade out to about knee-deep in the lake and splash each other. The professors allowed this, as they knew everyone had been awaiting the end of exams and the time they could spend outside.

The castle was very empty feeling now that everyone had started spending their time outside more than inside. Maya was never an outdoorsy person, really, so she stuck around the library a lot, though she did once join Carol and Lewis outside by the lake and their friendly conversation turned into a splashing war in the lake.

June 5th was Draco's birthday, but he spent most of it with Pansy and the other Slytherins. Later in the afternoon he had agreed to relax by the lake and let Maya give him his gift, which wasn't much, but he seemed to appreciate it (she had given him a sugar-quill, as she knew he had a sweet-tooth). The day after his birthday, the execution date for Buckbeak, was when things got a little more…serious, around the school.

The atmosphere in Hogwarts was very tense, as if it was holding its breath or something for that day. The sky was dark and gray, and it was unusually cold outside, colder than it had been the previous day. In fact, it was unusually cold for a summer day. Draco and some of the Slytherins had gone down to watch the execution of Buckbeak from afar, and Maya had climbed up one of the trees in the courtyard to read with Aspen.

Buckbeak's executioner was sharpening the large axe he would be using to kill Buckbeak with on one side of the courtyard, and a few minutes later, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter came marching into the courtyard, arguing about something. When they saw the executioner, Granger shot the masked man a furious look as they headed down (likely to Hagrid's).

A minute or two later, Maya thought she saw Granger and Potter walking past again at a run and she got a bit suspicious, so she clambered down from the tree and started to follow after them, but by the time she got halfway to where she knew you could see Hagrid's hut, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle came racing towards her, but they skidded to a stop when they reached her. Or rather, Draco did and Crabbe and Goyle copied him. "Kensington, what are you doing here?" he demanded, though it was a bit more embarrassed sounding than angry.

"I thought you were watching the execution of the hippogriff? Y'know, the one you purposely provoked?" Maya said, avoiding eye contact. Draco seemed to be at a loss for words. He tried to move past her, but she wouldn't let him. "Out of curiosity, what're the cowards — sorry, I mean, you three Slytherins — running from now?"

Draco put on a sour look, clearly not amused by Maya's strange change in temperament, but Maya didn't care. She wanted to see how Draco would react around his friends. Crabbe took a step forward, cracking his knuckles. Maya swallowed and watched his fists. Goyle stepped forward and flanked Crabbe. "Move, Mudblood."

Maya crossed her arms defiantly, "Not until you tell me what you're running from? I'm just curious."

Crabbe and Goyle took another menacing step forward, but Maya didn't move. And neither did Draco. He looked too surprised to move, but he also looked…afraid of something. Almost sad.

Goyle grabbed Maya's arm and yanked her toward him, then shoved her and let go. Maya lost her balance and fell, hitting her head on the ground. When she sat up, she felt something trickle down her forehead and she saw Draco's horrified expression. She touched a few fingers to her temple and felt a burning, and when she brought her hand back, she saw something shiny and scarlet colored. Blood...

"C'mon, let's get out of here before a teacher comes along again…" Draco said and went around her carefully, Crabbe and Goyle followed quickly after him.

Maya just sat on the ground where she was, too stunned to move. When she did get up, she didn't bother going to the hospital wing. Instead, she just went and sat down at one end of the courtyard. Draco showed up by himself after a little while and sat down next to her. At first, he reached out to touch the still bleeding gash on Maya's forehead, but then he brought his hand away from her head. "Wasn't that a little reckless? What were you doing, anyways?"

"I was testing you, actually." Maya mumbled, still in a bit of a shock. "I was seeing what Crabbe and Goyle would do if I…well, if I taunted them. And I wanted to see what you would do. And you didn't do anything."

"I-It's just because…I didn't want them to think…I yelled at them when we got back to the common room…everyone thought I was nuts. I said that…that you were a Half-blood…so that I could justify getting mad at them..." Draco sounded nervous. He was fidgeting with his fingers. "But you — you aren't a Half-blood…you're a —"

"A Mudblood." Maya finished for him and then stood up. "You can say it, Draco, I don't mind. If you can't be honest with your friends, then who can you be honest with?"

"I wouldn't think it was an issue if it wasn't for…for your blood…" Draco stood up next to her. "You know what they'll do to me don't you? I know you do…"

"Draco…I've never done this before, and I'm not sure if the point is going to get across and you're probably going to hate me afterwords and I'm sorry, okay?" Maya took a deep breath, made a fist and punched him as hard as she could in the mouth, knocking him backwards. When he regained balance, his lip had split and was bleeding slightly.

"What the _bloody hell_ , Kensington!? Did you just… _punch me_!?" Draco shouted out, and rubbed his bleeding lower lip with his hand. "First that Granger Mudblood and now _you_? Honestly, are all the Muggle-borns planning some sort of attack on all the Purebloods? You've lost your bloody mind, Kensington!" Maya couldn't help but smile a bit at the satisfaction of punching him, and she knew she'd have to bring up the Granger thing. This was also the first time she'd ever heard Draco cuss.

She grabbed his hand, which had his blood on it and with her free hand she touched her forehead where the blood was. "Look, Draco. Blood is blood, okay? When I get hurt, I bleed, and so do you. And the blood that comes out of whatever injury we have is red. The only difference is who our parents were." She saw a more understanding expression cross his features and she lowered his hand, but still held onto it.

"We can still be friends, Draco. I don't see how our friendship is wrong in any way. Like I said, blood is blood."

* * *

It was near impossible to get a decent seat on the Hogwarts express when it was time to go home. Draco had decided to sit with Lewis, Carol, and Maya for the trip back, but he said it was because the compartment with his other 'friends' was too full and that there wasn't much room left. Carol and Lewis had at first been hesitant, but then said that he could sit with them.

Draco got to know Lewis and Carol a little better, and Maya was happy that the few friends that she had were willing to try and get along for her sake.

When they arrived at Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Maya quickly pulled out several small pieces of parchment and scribbled down her address and her grandparent's address and told them, "I want you three to owl me as soon as you can. I don't want to be bored all summer…can you do that?" The three of them nodded.

Carol and Lewis vanished into the crowd to find their parents after saying goodbye, but Maya and Draco hung around and walked slowly while they looked for their own parents. "Sorry about all the drama this year." Maya told him.

"It's all right. Let's try and…er…not repeat that next year, shall we?" Draco suggested and Maya agreed. When he saw his parents he said goodbye and promised to send his owl out that night and that he'd see her next year. Maya smiled as he and his parents left the platform.

Now, she wouldn't have to worry about being lonely this summer, because she had her friends to talk to.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note:**

 _In response to a guest review from Ryo-_

First, thank you for your review! I'm glad that you like their relationship! I had originally planned to not use the punch, but I felt like it would get Maya's message across better. Glad that you liked that as well!

And yeah, that also bothers me about Draco fanfics. His parents are either hateful people who abuse their son (which, they don't) or they aren't there at all. Not going to lie, Narcissa and Lucius did have their faults, but hey, they are only human, right? Normal people mess up and make bad choices, and I'd be concerned if the Malfoys weren't the same way.

As for what you said (and I apologize if it still doesn't make sense!), I believe that I meant that Draco doesn't particularly want his father's opinion on his friendship with Maya. Why? Because parents — however much we may love them and seek their approval — have no right to choose who our friends are, which is why Draco doesn't care what his father thinks about that.

If it was about the scene in the story when he was in Malfoy Manor and I wrote about him 'not caring' about what his father would have to say if Draco asked him what he was doing, it was all to do with the fact that Draco was a bit distracted at the moment and would have rather spoken to someone more understanding and someone who wouldn't have gone on and on about themselves (i.e. Narcissa). I do believe that even Draco has limits with how much of his father he can deal with at one time, even if he _does_ look up to him and see him as an idol (Draco, you really shouldn't have idols though…just role-models…*sigh*).

So, I apologize if that still didn't really clear much up. Feel free to tell me if I did or didn't answer your question and tell me where the mistake is and I'll be sure to look into it.

—

I actually (surprisingly) finished year three right after I finished reading The Prisoner of Azkaban, which is surprising, seeing as how I usually am like, halfway through the next book before I get onto finishing up the year. I tried to get this chapter done quickly, as I intend to take a break for a few days. I apologize if anything seems rushed.

But, yeah. I have a lot of development planned for this year (I've been waiting for this since the start, actually!), and it'll probably have more chapters than the other years did. Definitely more words per chapter as well.

I would like to say one thing: the DVD that we have for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire won't play on our player, so I basically am going off of a very weak synopsis on IMDb as well as my own very poor memory, so please forgive any errors. I'm also not far into the book, so I can only use some of that as a reference,

I don't believe it stated how long the Quidditch World Cup lasted, but I'm going to be safe and say it only took one day? Mainly because I can't find any sources that say otherwise…

Also, they never mentioned if Draco's owl had a name, so I just went with the Latin word for owl, Ibis, as the owl's name.

Anyhow, hope everyone enjoys!

* * *

Chapter Eighteen (Year Four): Chaos at the World Cup

Maya sighed as she pushed open the bedroom door and was — for the first time all day — able to sit down at her desk and relax. Her and her mother and brother had been out grocery and clothes shopping, as Maya was outgrowing all of her old clothes and Paul had practically eaten everything in the house by the time their mother got around to taking them out for some summer shopping. They had been out since noon, and were only just now returning, when the sun was starting to set.

Not that Maya was complaining. She liked the warm weather, but sometimes it was a bit too much to be out in it all day. It would start to cool off by mid to late August and then being outside for several hours would be a bit more tolerable and enjoyable.

As Maya opened her window and then got up to turn her ceiling fan on, there was a faint whoosh as something flew through her window and passed her ear. She jumped and turned around to see an owl sitting on her dresser, a letter in it's beak. It looked very dignified, and Maya recognized him as Draco Malfoy's eagle owl, Ibis.

She plucked the letter gently from his beak and broke the seal on it, reading Draco's writing:

 _Dear Kensington,_

 _Did you not receive the last three letters that I sent you? I'm starting to wonder if Ibis is losing them or dropping them somewhere else by accident. If he isn't, then are you ignoring me? It's about time you answered, it's been two weeks already..._

 _I'm a bit concerned, but I'll get to the point._

 _I was wondering if you will be attending the Quidditch World Cup this year? My parents and I will be, as we were invited by the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. If you do go, it's unlikely we'll be seeing each other, but I was only curious._

 _I suppose I'll be replying whenever you decide to write back_

 _-DM_

Maya sighed, folding the letter back up, walking to the other side of her room by the window and placing it in a small box on her desk filled with her friends' letters. Carol had invited Maya to the World Cup, but Maya had promptly written back to say that she would be unable to attend as she had too much to do before her fourth year at Hogwarts started, and barely enough time to do it as it was. Deciding that Draco deserved a response, however short it was, she picked up the quill pen she had and pulled out a spare piece of parchment and scribbled a few words down quickly:

 _Dear Draco,_

 _Unfortunately, I do not think that I will be attending the World Cup, as I've too much to do before Hogwarts and not enough time to do it. I hope you enjoy it, though, and please tell me who ends up winning. I'd love to know._

 _-Kensington_

She folded it up and put a seal on it, writing down Draco's address. Then she gave it to Ibis and told him to return to Draco. The owl took flight with the letter clutched in his beak, flying out the window and back to its' home.

Although Maya did not particularly enjoy Quidditch, she wasn't lying about having far too much to do before Hogwarts. Her mother had decided to homeschool Maya over the summer holidays. It wasn't magic that Maya was being homeschooled in, though, which would have been nice, actually. No, Maya was being taught Muggle school. Why? Because Maya's mother insisted that she keep up with her Muggle schoolwork, this way Maya had some kind of work outside of the wizarding world, should she grow up and decide not to be closely connected to the 'people like her'.

That reminded Maya of something, although it had been four years since she'd even thought about it. Carol's grandmother, who was also Maya's own grandparents' next-door neighbor, had done something shortly before Maya's first year at Hogwarts. She had come over one night after Maya and her siblings were asleep and explained the wizarding world and magic to Maya's parents and grandparents, though that was as much as Maya knew.

But she wanted to know more, so she quickly pulled out another piece of parchment and wrote down the words, thinking them through clearly:

 _Dear Mrs. Bishop,_

 _I don't know if Carol is visiting or not, and I'm sorry if I've brought you away from time with your family. I also apologize for sending this the old-fashioned Muggle way, but you see, I don't have an owl of my own._

 _You see, something has actually been bothering me ever since my first year. Well, first off, thanks for Aspen, I really couldn't ask for a better pet than her. But, I was wondering why you told my mother to lie about my heritage. I know it probably doesn't matter anymore, ever since a Pureblood found out about it and told the whole school, however, he said that he lied to his friends to justify defending me._

 _Anyways, I don't think they believed him._

 _I just wanted to know why and how you managed to explain all of that to them?_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Maya L. Kensington_

Maya folded the letter up and wrote the address on an envelope, sticking the letter inside. She would take it down to the post-office on Monday morning and have the letter sent out then, but she couldn't do it right now. Even thought it had been four years, Maya knew that she still deserved an explanation as to why Mrs. Bishop had Maya's family lie to her.

* * *

It had been several days, but one Saturday morning — this Saturday was much cooler than the ones before it — an owl came flying through Maya's open window and awaited her return.

Maya, who had been eating breakfast in the kitchen, returned to her bedroom with Aspen perched atop her shoulder. When Aspen saw the owl, she leapt off of Maya's shoulder and onto the desk where the owl was perched, giving the large bird a long sniff before deciding it was no threat and hopping off the desk and trotting over to her small box (which was also a bed for her) in the corner of the room.

"Silly girl…" Maya shook her head, stroking the owl's forehead gently with two of her fingers before taking the letter from its beak and opening it.

It read:

 _Dear Maya,_

 _It's been a while since I have heard from you, but Carol has told me so much whenever they come and visit for the holidays. She's also told me about you spending a lot of time with Draco Malfoy, but we'll get to that later. I hope that you don't mind the length of this letter, but it takes a while to explain some things, do you understand? Well, I suppose so, if you haven't stopped reading yet._

 _First, let me tell you of my own heritage so that you may understand my reasoning. My great-grandmother — God rest her soul — was a Muggle-born witch and I remember spending a lot of time with her when I was a young girl. But, I also remember my great-grandmother telling me stories of how her family treated her after she discovered her magical talents and was accepted to Hogwarts._

 _They hated her, because they were scared of her. They were muggles who — prior to my great-grandmother's seventh birthday — had perfectly normal lives. I said seventh birthday because that was when her abilities started to surface and her family started to grow worried._

 _During her third year at Hogwarts, her parents left her with her grandparents to raise her. They accepted her and loved her, and they didn't mind her magical abilities._

 _When I first saw that you were a witch, I was naturally very intrigued and even a bit surprised. But most of all, I was worried how your parents would react._

 _Do you remember when you were around…five or six, I believe? You and your brother Paul, who was around nine or ten at the time, had gone down to the creek not far from your grandparents' farm? Well, I had been there, returning from a walk a few feet away from where you two had been playing. I remember when I was heading back, I saw you and Paul balancing on the stones._

 _I was about to tell the two of you that it wasn't safe and that you should head back to the shore, when both of you lost your balance. Your heads hit the stones as you slipped, but you both came out unscathed, somehow. You weren't even wet when you got up and back to the edge of the creek bed._

 _At first, I thought that Paul had been the one who had done it, after all, older siblings are generally protectors (I should know, I have two younger siblings) and I had watched him closely for a few days, whenever you would play at the edge of my garden, still in the bounds of your grandparents' farm. But, he never showed anything. But you did, and I was…well…shocked._

 _Always so quiet and reserved. I don't know why that mattered, but I just didn't think you would ever — and forgive me for saying this — do anything out of the ordinary. You wouldn't do anything special. I never suspected for a second that it was you, but I take it that you like to prove people wrong about you? At least, that's what Carol said about you._

 _So, after I realized it was you, I went to visit your parents, shortly before you received your letter, and I explained everything to them. Which brings us to why I told your mother to lie to you._

 _You see, there's been this dark cloud hanging over my head ever since You-Know-Who vanished. I am one of those that know for a fact that he is not gone for good, and he'll be back. I'm sure of it. Well, enough of my rambling. I told them to lie as I believed that it could protect you for at least a short amount of time. You-Know-Who, if I remember correctly, was firmly against Muggle-borns…believed that they had stolen their magic from 'real' wizards. Absolutely preposterous, of course…who ever heard of stealing magic?_

 _And, that brings me to my final topic._

 _As I said at the start of my letter, Carol has told me a lot about you, including a story about your friendship with Draco Malfoy. While I will not try and dictate who you are allowed to hang out with (I have only talked with you a few times!) I must give you a word of caution, though I'm sure you're very tired of hearing it. The Malfoys followed You-Know-Who when he was around, and I'm sure they would do it again, simply because of their Pureblood ideals._

 _Be careful of who you choose as your friends. It's a very dangerous time to be a Muggle-born._

 _Well, I apologize if that was a bit too serious, but you wanted an explanation. I hope that covers it._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Mrs. Bishop_

Maya — who had moved from her standing position to a sitting one on the bed — folded the letter back up and got up to her desk, writing a quick thank you note, though she waited to send the owl away yet.

The explanation was good enough for Maya, but she was starting to grow tired of everyone warning her about Draco. He had proved himself loyal enough over the past few years, and she trusted him to do the right thing in the end. Somehow, she couldn't see Draco _following_ anyone. He was a leader, definitely not someone you could metaphorically train to perform your tricks for you whenever you wanted him to.

While Maya appreciated everyone's concern, she just didn't really need it. So far, things had been okay between her and Draco, and hopefully it would stay that way. Hopefully...

A knock at Maya's door made her jump and she saw her mother standing there, a soft smile on her lips. "Can I talk with you, Maya?" Maya nodded and her mother stepped into the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of Maya's neatly made bed and beckoning for her daughter to sit down next her. Aspen, although she remained curled up where she was, pricked her ears and watched them curiously.

"What is it?"

"Well, I was thinking…" Maya's mother began, looking thoughtful. "Well, you've been doing well with your…er…Muggle schoolwork and you seemed so disappointed when I said you couldn't go to that World Cup thing with your friend, Carol, so I decided…well, you've already finished this grade anyways — I told you doing three days' work at a time could and definitely would pay off eventually."

Maya was a bit bored, but continued to listen, glancing over at her desk, "And…w-why are you telling me this, exactly?"

Her mother sighed, "Well, I know you don't have many friends and you hardly get a chance to visit them over holidays, so it'll be all right with me if you want to go to that Quedutch thing…"

"Quidditch, Mom, it's pronounced Quidditch," Maya smirked, unable to hide the amusement in her voice. The only real reason that Maya wanted to go to the World Cup at all was because it did give her a chance to see her friend, Carol, again. Maya didn't really like Quidditch, but she cared about her friends and their interests, so she'd be willing to go if it meant seeing her friend happy. "But, I'll write Carol now and ask if it isn't too late to tag along with them." Maya got up and went over to her desk to sit down. As her mother began to leave, Maya added, "Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, Maya," she replied kindly and let the room as Maya began to write a note to Carol asking if she could still go with them to the World Cup. Who knows, she might actually enjoy it.

Once she was done with the letter to Carol, she attached it to the owl's leg and the owl took the other letter in its beak. Maya took him to the window and watched him push off of the windowsill and fly off toward his home, wings beating fiercely. She watched until he was a pale silhouette against the blue sky, and then we was gone.

* * *

The letter back from Carol said yes to Maya still being able to go, as the original person from their family that wanted to go along had gotten sick with some sort of flu and they needed another person for the ticket. The people that Maya and Carol knew that would be attending were Mrs. Bishop (Carol's grandmother), Carol's brother, and Carol and Maya's other friend, Lewis Hampton.

 _Good_ , Maya thought to herself as she double checked the list of named, _There's no one here that I don't know, so I should be pretty…well…hopefully not very awkward_. Mrs. Bishop would be driving (as she did use Muggle transportation, from what Carol had mentioned) and should have been arriving at any second to pick up Maya…the doorbell rang and Maya smiled and raced to the door, Aspen bouncing after her, chittering with excitement.

At first, there was only Mrs. Bishop standing in the doorway, but Carol's head suddenly popped out from behind her grandmother and she skipped forward over to Maya, a cheeky grin on her face as she bombarded Maya with several questions all at once, "Are you all set to leave? Are you excited? Who're you hoping'll win? Have you already gotten your school things from Diagon Alley, as there won't be much time for it after the World Cup…"

"Erm…" Maya tried to remember the order of the questions. "Yes. Kind of. Don't know yet. And, yes."

"Well, I'll fill you in on the two teams when we head out to the campsite tomorrow morning. Y'see, it doesn't officially start for a few days, but we have to be there early." Carol explained excitedly as Mrs. Bishop and Maya's mother talked for a little while.

Once the adults finished with their conversation and all of Maya's things were loaded into the car, they set off down the road, with the three of them discussing various things as they headed down the road.

* * *

The arrival at the Bishops' house had Maya feeling unusually cheerful and at peace. Everyone in Carol's family were witches and wizards. Carol's father was a Muggle-born, while Carol said that her mother's side of the family (the Bishops) were considered Half-bloods. Their family also seemed to have a history of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, although Mrs. Bishop was a Ravenclaw and Carol's little brother, Charles, was in Slytherin, oddly enough.

Maya saw that Lewis had already been there for several days already, and he said that he wasn't expecting her to come along, but was pleased that she was going after all. Carol, Lewis, and Maya all caught up with each other later that evening at dinner, which Carol's father didn't sit down for, as he was the one in the family who had fallen ill.

After they finished their meal, the children headed off to bed and the adults stayed up to talk. Maya and Carol said goodnight to Lewis and Charles and went to the room they would be sharing. They tried to listen in on what the adults were saying, but soon decided that they needed the rest and went to bed, eager about the next morning.

* * *

"So…how are we going to get there?" Maya asked as they had started to pack up their rucksacks and head out the door. The sun was just starting to rise and dapple the ground with golden rays. It was a lovely summer morning, but Maya would have preferred it if she wasn't so anxious about the journey they were about to be setting off on.

"Have you ever travelled by portkey?" Mrs. Bishop asked. Maya shook her head. "Well…I don't know how to explain it exactly. It can transport you places in a matter of seconds. It's an easy way to travel. Much more practical and faster than a broom would be, and less nauseating than apparating, but you're all far too young for that, anyways. Won't be able to take the test for another several years."

"Traveling by portkey is actually a bit safer than those other choices as well," Lewis put in. "At least, if you ask my opinion."

"Well, we didn't ask," Carol teased.

Lewis blushed at Carol's response and went unusually quiet for the rest of the walk to where the portly would be located. They all walked for what felt like hours (in fact, it probably was) before they finally reached their destination at the top of a hill. The sun had risen a lot more by this time and everything was well lit and extremely hot, but that was probably because of all the walking they had done.

"Is this it then?" Charles asked, bouncing around excitedly. Everyone present smiled at his enthusiasm and his grandmother nodded, adding to his energy and happiness, "This is going to be amazing! I can't wait until we get there!"

Mrs. Bishop worked to calm Charles down before she instructed them all on what to do. Maya listened carefully and hesitantly put her hand on the empty bottle that would be their portkey. Surely they could have used something a little different as the portkey, but Maya wasn't planning on complaining. Within a matter of seconds, the world around them changed and they were in the air. Then she was told to let go and she dropped abruptly back onto the ground, yelping as she felt a pain in her back.

"Carol — oww…" Maya sat up, gripping her back and glaring at the rock that she had conveniently landed on. "Stupid rock. Are you guys okay?"

Carol, Charles, and Lewis, sat up, each one rubbing some sore place. For Lewis it was his head, for Charles it was his knee, and for Carol it was her arm. "That hurt…where's Gramma?"

"Don't worry, I'm all right," Mrs. Bishop told them. She was standing not far off with a smile on her face, and she approached them to help them up. "We're here right on time, so let's try and get to the campsite in as reasonable a time, shall we?" a man collected the bottle they had used as a portkey and placed it into a bucket of several other used portkeys, tipping his hat as they walked away.

"What's the campsite going to be like, exactly?" Maya asked, though judging by what she had seen so far, she had some idea of what it would be. She hurried to keep up with everyone, having the second amount of difficulty compared to Charles, "Are we going to have to use two separate tents or will we be sharing one large one?"

"Well, you could say that…" Mrs. Bishop said, a smile spreading across her lips.

She checked in with a Muggle who was eyeing them suspiciously and Mrs. Bishop paid him (in Muggle currency) and ushered the children forward as the man nodded curtly, allowing them to pass by him. Inside the campsite were huge amounts of tents, some of them not blending in well with their surroundings. It was very conspicuous, almost as if the witches or wizards who set them up didn't want to make much of an effort to blend in and look normal.

Mrs. Bishop seemed to be searching for something, and eventually came to a halt. There was a small sign that said 'Bishop' on it, so Maya guess that this was where they would be setting up their tent. It was more near the center of all the other tents that had been set up, which gave a sense of security that Maya (sort of) liked.

Together, they all worked to set up their tent. It didn't quite look big enough for all of them, but Mrs. Bishop told them to trust her and when they stepped inside, it was actually a pretty decent size. It had separate 'rooms' and a table. Maya was wondering how this worked out, but a voice in her head that sounded like Draco reminded her, _Magic, Kensington, it's magic, remember? What were you expecting?_

That was when she wondered when Draco would be turning up. Surely it wouldn't be very long, and she hoped she would see him, but she remembered that he had no idea that she would be here at all. Well, surely he wouldn't mind being surprised by a friend, besides, she wanted to meet his parents and see how they would react to her.

* * *

"Now, you must remember to behave yourself, Draco," Draco listened to his father lecture him for the hundredth time on how they had been invited to the World Cup by Cornelius Fudge and that he must be on his best behavior.

 _When have I ever_ not _behaved myself?_ Draco wondered, frowning at his feet as he was keeping pace between his parents. Instead of saying what he was thinking, he responded with the usual, respectful, "Yes, father, I understand."

Draco looked up from his feet and glanced around as they passed by several other wizards, who greeted them with nods. He noticed that some of them, although they seemed respectful, had eyes that were full of contempt or fear. He let a smirk form on his lips. Even if his family evoked glares like that, at least it meant they were well known, but Draco never really doubted that for a second.

He noticed a few of the more well-known Pureblood families were there, some of them had children around his age. He spotted the Greengrass family, their two daughters, Daphne and Astoria, chattering to each other excitedly about the two teams competing in the World Cup. Draco's parents stopped to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass. Astoria hid behind her sister and didn't say anything, in fact she was watching Draco, much to his discomfort. He said hello to them, but only Daphne responded. Her sister's cheeks turned red and she buried her face in her older sister's cloak before disappearing into her tent.

Draco rolled his eyes and patiently waited for his parents to bid the Greengrasses farewell and lead him away. Unfortunately for him, the four were getting into very deep conversation. By now, Daphne had retreated to the tent and joined her sister, leaving Draco as the only child present at the time, not that he was complaining about this.

After much waiting, Draco's parents finally excused themselves and started walking once more. Draco glanced back to see Astoria peek her head out of the tent and watch him leave. He heaved a sigh and gave her a little wave, forcing a kind smile. She sheepishly returned it and vanished back into her family's tent. Draco felt pressured to hang out with only Purebloods and Half-Bloods — mainly Purebloods, though — simply because his family told him that that was what he had to do. Since he had to do this for the sake of his reputation, he figured that he might as well be polite to any girl who could — or would — be his future bride, knowing that his choices were limited to only a few that were within his age group.

"Something bothering you, Draco?" his mother asked him, likely noticing the sour look on his face.

Draco shook his head, "No, ma'am. I was just thinking about the World Cup, that's all."

His mother bought this and nodded, turning back to look ahead of her, wrinkling her nose at her 'inferiors' whenever they passed by. While Draco was starting to question his parents ideals as he got older, he couldn't help but admit that she was sort of justified in looking down at some wizards and witches. They tried so hard to fit in and look like Muggles, but in reality they just looked quite foolish.

A familiar voice shouting his name startled him from his thoughts, making him — as well as his parents — stop and look around wildly. Draco's gaze fell on a girl that he only barely recognized. She resembled Kensington, but she was healthier looking. Her hair was longer and pulled up, and she wasn't as scrawny as she used to be. In fact, she had filled out since he last saw her. Draco had thought that she wasn't coming, but yet, here she was...

"Draco!" Kensington called again, skipping towards him, dodging around a few people. Draco was taken by surprise when she threw her arms around his neck, embracing him in a hug. He felt his cheeks heat up, and the hug only lasted a few seconds before he pulled away and gave her a quizzical expression. How she had spotted him in this huge crowd, Draco didn't know.

"Kensington, what on Earth are you doing here?" he asked, flashing her a smile. "I thought you couldn't come?"

Kensington gave a shy smile, "Well, my mom said that I could go with Carol and a couple of the people from her family. I didn't write you to let you know, because I…kind of wanted to…surprise you, I guess?" For a moment, Draco felt a bit flattered that she had wanted to 'surprise' him, but his heart sank a little bit when she added, "I-I mean, I didn't really think about it until I got here and —"

"Draco...who is this?" Draco's father stepped up behind him and Draco saw Kensington freeze up and lower her gaze, not making eye contact. She did that when meeting new people, for some reason. She was just so awkward sometimes, especially when it came to talking to people. Once you got to know her, though, she was pretty nice. If Draco could get her to open up in just a few minutes, then maybe his parents would actually like her.

"This is Maya Kensington. I've told Mother about her," Draco caught his mother eye and the realization of who Kensington was seemed to creep up as she remembered their conversation over the Christmas holidays. He gave her a pleading look and she only nodded. Hopefully that meant that she wouldn't spill the secret about Draco's crush on a Muggle-born. "I might have mentioned her to you, as well, Father, but I don't remember if I did."

"Not that I can remember, no," his father scowled slightly, looking at Kensington in such a way that looked as if he was making a list of things he could hate about her. "Lucius Malfoy," he introduced himself. Kensington murmured a hello and extended her hand. He took her hand and shook it politely, but he was quick to let go. "I assume that since you and my son are friends, that you've more than likely heard of me, correct?"

Kensington nodded, "Er — w-well, yes, as a matter of fact. I've heard — erm — w-wonderful things about you," she glanced towards Draco's mother and added, "A-about the b-both of you, actually."

Draco's mother met Draco's eyes and she forced a smile on for him, extending her hand out for Kensington to shake, "Narcissa Malfoy. I'm Draco's mother. It's nice to finally meet you, dear. Draco thinks very highly of you."

"Oh?" Kensington raised an eyebrow, almost in a teasing way. Draco rolled his eyes at her, though he remembered his manners and said and did nothing.

His father sneered, "Yes, well…if you're going to be hanging around here after the World Cup, then I'd suggest you keep an eye out for any trouble. Never know what could go wrong…" Kensington gulped, but she narrowed her eyes, as did Draco's father. Draco's face fell. They both were acting as if they knew something about the other that they weren't supposed to. Or at least, they clearly had their suspicions. Obviously, Kensington and his father didn't hit it off.

"Well," Kensington glanced back at the tent that she had come from and Draco saw her two friends, Manchester and Hampton, watching her curiously and beckoning for her to return. "I-I better get back now, they're waiting for me." Kensington said goodbye and looked at Draco as she backed away. "See you later, Draco. Have fun…"

* * *

After the World Cup had ended, Maya was happy to just relax. She had surprisingly enjoyed the tournament, and the team she had been rooting for (Ireland) had won, which surprised her. The last Quidditch team she had rooted for that had won had been the Hufflepuff House Team.

Maya was very uninformed when it came to Qudditch, but she found herself oddly satisfied by her victory, but that had something to do with the fact that she and Carol had both bet three Galleons with Charles and Lewis that Ireland would win, while Lewis and Charles had been convinced that Bulgaria would win. Now that it was time to pay up, they were a bit hesitant, but did finally give in and pay up, much to Mrs. Bishop's amusement.

After a few minutes of playing various games with a deck of cards that Lewis had brought along, Mrs. Bishop got up and peered outside after hearing a very loud booming noise. When she pulled her head back in, the color had drained from her face. "Grab your bags, kids, _quickly_ ," Mrs. Bishop ordered. Another booming sound made everyone hop to their feet and follow through with her orders, grabbing their bags. "Now, you all need to stick together."

"Gramma?" squeaked Charles as they stepped outside and were greeted promptly by chaos. "Gramma, what's going on?"

Mrs. Bishop said nothing. She instinctively snatched up Charles and Carol's hands, and Maya grabbed Charles' free hand and Lewis grabbed Carol's free hand, and then Lewis and Maya took the other's hand. Now that all of their hands were interlocked, they made a sort of circle, with Mrs. Bishop being the one to guide them out of the explosions and running and screaming and hid away with them in the forest.

They watched from behind a fallen tree, seeing a group of masked people marching along, chanting something. "Gramma…" Carol broke the silence. "Who're those people out there? Why are they doing this to these people?"

"I believe," Mrs. Bishop said quietly and with a shaky sort of voice, "that those are…are Death Eaters…at least, they might be…I have no way of being 100% sure, of course…and if I'm correct then…that means they're searching for Muggles, and…" she trailed off as she turned back to look at Lewis and Maya. She didn't need to finish her sentence, the two of them already had. _Muggle-borns_.

Maya instinctively reached for her necklace, as she always did when she was troubled or thinking, but it wasn't there. That meant that she had…she had lost it, hadn't she? "N-no…where is it?" she began to search around where they were sitting, and then got up without thinking about it, but Lewis and Carol grabbed her arm and pulled her back down, bringing her back to reality.

"Looking for this?" everyone jumped and Maya was relieved to see Draco standing there, dangling Maya's necklace with a smirk, but his eyes gave away his fear and concern. Maya felt her throat tighten and her stomach flipped suddenly, which was odd. She got up, happy that he wasn't hurt, and walked towards him, relief washing over her. She put her head on his shoulder, painfully aware of everyone staring at her. "Kensington, are you all right? All I did was find your necklace, you don't have to get this choked up, y'know?"

Maya pulled away and snatched the necklace from him, putting it back around her neck, fingering the pendant as she looked him over. "I thought you were still out there," she pointed towards where the explosions and fire and screaming and chaos had all gotten worse. "You could have been hurt, and I'm just…glad that you weren't."

She noticed that he didn't have any trace of smoke or soot on him, and didn't appear to be injured. No, he'd been here before they had…before…but how had he...

Lewis was the one to speak up, "How'd you get out here? I have a general idea of where your tent is located, based on where you were heading when Maya caught up and said hello…you should have some trace of everything going on out there, yet you're unscathed. How?"

Draco's steely eyes narrowed on Lewis' and he averted his gaze to look at Maya in a way she didn't quite understand and then said, "I know things, and that's all I'm telling you…"

"Know things? How?" Carol seethed. "Is it because daddy is a Death Eater? Hmmf…bit surprised that you aren't out there, I mean, they do say 'like father, like son'? Or, perhaps you prefer 'the sins of the father…' over the first one?"

"Carol!" Mrs. Bishop gasped.

Lewis joined in, "Can you just leave, Malfoy? Knowing you, you'll probably sell us out to your papa's friends and let 'em slaughter us like animals. Why don't you just go on out there and join them, blow some innocent people up?"

Draco started forward aggressively, but Mrs. Bishop made everyone freeze out of surprise and fear, "SHUT IT!" They all stood completely still as her fiery gaze travelled over each and every one of them. "Now you lot better listen, and you better listen good," she snarled. "I will not have anyone — son of an ex-Death Eater or not — getting hurt or killed out there. We're _all_ going to sit this out right here, understand?"

They nodded and Maya and Draco sat down next to the others on the ground, watching the chaos from afar. Once the dust had settled and everything was quiet for a few moments, Mrs. Bishop stood up and guided them all away, along the edge of the remains of the campsite, the smell of smoke lingering in the air and burning the roof of Maya's mouth.

When she took the time to do a headcount, she realized that Draco had vanished from sight.

And in the air, high in the darkening sky, there was a green mark that made Mrs. Bishop hurry them all along as quickly as possible, to the safety of where their portkey was.


	19. Chapter 19

Authors Note:

I've opened a poll on my page that relates to this story, so if you could take a few seconds after you read this chapter to vote, it'd be highly appreciated! I'll be leaving the poll open until next Wednesday, so it'll be open for a whole week, until the 28th of March. I might leave it open longer, I'm not quite sure yet. I might leave it open for two weeks.

But, anyways. I hope you enjoy the chapter and please check out the poll and give me your vote.

* * *

Chapter Nineteen (Year Four): Foreign Visitors

There were all sorts of murmurs after everything that had happened at the World Cup. Maya had heard some rumor that Harry Potter had conjured the mark that was in the sky, which Mrs. Bishop explained as being the Dark Mark, a symbol that most of — if not all of — You-Know-Who's followers used. How Mrs. Bishop was this knowledgable when it came to things related to Dark Wizards was something that even her grandchildren seemed unable to figure out.

Charles sat with Maya, Carol, and Lewis on the Hogwarts Express that year, using the excuse that he didn't want to sit with his other friends because they were all talking about what happened at the World Cup and absolutely nothing else. It was aggravating to him, apparently. Imagine his disappointment upon sitting down in their compartment and finding them discussing…well…what happened at the World Cup. More or less.

"I still don't understand what you see in Malfoy," Carol said, examining the card from the Chocolate Frog that she had opened up and eaten. "I mean, did you see the way he disappeared once everything started to quiet down? Doesn't that mean something?" Maya didn't make eye contact with her, instead she focused on looking out the window and making only a few humming noises to say that she heard what Carol said.

"And what was he doing in the woods? How very convenient it was that he was near the edge of the woods when the attack started, never mind the fact that he would have had to cross by all the fire and explosions in order to get to the forest from his camp," Lewis said, looking up from reading his new Astronomy textbook. "He should have shown some sign of smoke or fire, or even a bruise from getting jostled by that crowd. I mean, my shin got bruised pretty badly by a few people, so, y'know why I'm suspicious of him…"

"Say, Charles," Carol addressed her brother. "You're in Slytherin…have you ever spent time around Malfoy?"

Charles shrugged, "He's two years ahead of me, I only ever see him in the Common Room."

"Do you ever talk with each other?" Carol interrogated.

He shook his head, "No. He doesn't talk to the younger kids. Usually he's with his little gang or enduring Parkinson drooling over him." Maya's ears perked with interest. Pansy Parkinson liked Draco? A bit unsurprising, considering her behavior sometimes. For whatever reason, hearing this made Maya a bit jealous, but she ignored it.

"Somehow, I can't picture _anyone_ drooling over Malfoy," Lewis wrinkled his nose. "At least, I can't see anyone with a brain doing it, so I guess that explains Parkinson…" Carol giggled at the comment and Lewis blushed, "But it's true, y'know!"

"I don't think many people will argue with you about Parkinson not having a brain, Lewis," Maya smirked, looking over at where they were sitting. Charles, who was sitting next to Maya, looked torn between laughing and being loyal to his Housemates, so he just sat there with a strange…grimace, almost. Maya gave the younger boy a reassuring smile and returned to staring out the window.

The train continued on its way, clacking along the track. For the passengers, it was quite smooth. Maya found it soothing, actually, the way the train almost rocked someone to sleep. Usually, she would have tried to doze off and relax on the ride, but she was kept up by wondering why everyone was so hellbent on breaking up her friendship with Draco.

* * *

"Here, Draco," Pansy Parkinson stood aside so that Draco could step into the empty compartment that she had selected. Draco gave her as polite a look as he could before stepping inside and taking a seat by the window. Pansy sat across from him, Crabbe and Goyle sat down next to her, and Blaise Zabini — the newest and most anti-social of Draco's gang — sat down next to Draco, keeping as far away from Draco as possible.

Draco looked out the window at the scenery that passed by, and then turned to look at his…friends, recently having been thinking a lot about what company he chose to keep. Crabbe and Goyle were loyal to him, no doubt about that. They would do whatever he asked, but when it really came down to it, they were incredibly thick and only friends with him because of his family status. Pansy was okay, but only friends with him for the same reasons as Crabbe and Goyle. It elevated her status, being friends with him. There was Zabini, who had sort of integrated himself into Draco's gang, though Draco wasn't yet sure about his motives. Usually, he was a loner, and extremely rude and disrespectful to everyone around him, yet he still chose to hang out with Draco and the others.

Breaking the silence that fell over them, Draco said at last, "Anybody else enjoy the World Cup as much as I did?" Crabbe and Goyle snickered at his comment. Draco smirked, figuring that their reaction — although he had not been joking, really — was good enough for him. Pansy's lips curled into a sort of half-smile, while Zabini only wrinkled his nose. Draco went on, regardless, "I mean, Quidditch…fire…Mudbloods screaming…fear…definitely the makings of a very entertaining evening, don't you think?"

"Bit surprised you enjoyed something that involves Mudbloods getting injured or screaming in fear, Malfoy," Zabini sneered, sitting up straighter than he had been before and looking at Draco with a blank expression, but his eyes gleamed with something Draco couldn't read.

"And what's _that_ suppose to mean, Blaise?" Draco demanded in as harsh a tone as he felt like using, but he made sure he sounded as lazy and disinterested as possible.

"Well," Zabini said in a calm, cool voice. "We all know that your girlfriend is a Mudblood," Pansy shot a vicious glare at Zabini and he smirked. "Oh, I'm not talking about you, Parkinson. I mean that Ravenclaw that he's so obsessed with. Y'know, the one Crabbe and Goyle likely gave a concussion?" Draco frowned, but said nothing.

Pansy spoke up next, "Oh, yes. The mute…didn't Draco say," she looked at Draco in a sort of angry, almost accusing way, "that she was really a Half-Blood? And that he lied or something because he was mad at her?"

Draco scoffed, "Oh, honestly. First off, she isn't my girlfriend. Never will be…I have my standards, after all. Do you think I'd sink so low that I'd actually be attracted to somebody like her?" Draco felt his stomach tighten at the lie, but so far, the others were buying it, "Second, I really don't think that her blood status is any of your business, really. I mean, the way you brought it up, Zabini…people might get the wrong idea, if you constantly talk about her," taking a deep breath, he told them, "Third, she isn't a mute. And lastly, who I choose to hang out with is absolutely no business of yours."

"But, Draco," Pansy said, in what could have only been her attempt at a soothing voice, "we're only worrying who you choose to be friends with. Never know what sort of deluded ideals a Mudblood — or even a Half-Blood, if that's what she is — could get stuck in your head. Not a good idea to hang around them…be friends with whomever you please, but at least be careful about it."

Draco said nothing, but he did narrow his eyes coldly before turning back to look out at the scenery.

"What would be interesting to know —" Zabini said, this time only talking to Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle, "— is how a mute like her managed to make friends with anybody. She never talks. Remember during first year, back when Professor Quirrell was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. He always went easy on her, simply because she would st-st-stutter j-j-just like him. Kind of wish she had been _killed_ , just like him. Saved us all a lot of oxygen talking about her, right?" The compartment exploded into laughter.

Draco rolled his eyes, not joining in on the laughter. Bullying people that he knew just didn't seem to be right. In spite of all of his other, awful traits, he still had morals and limits that he wished to keep in tact. Kensington was his friend, and he was growing tired of seeing his other 'friends' making fun of her. _Oh well_ , he though. _Still have your reputation to uphold, remember?_

So, he'd hang around them for the rest of his time at Hogwarts. Only a few more years to tolerate this nonsense, right?

* * *

"Come on, Maya," Carol said, nudging her friend's shoulder to snap her from her trance. Maya looked at her friend and blinked. "We're here," she said, slightly annoyed sounding. "It's time to get off the train?"

"Oh, r-right. Sorry," Maya got up. She reached for her bag instinctively, but reminded herself that their things would be brought up to their dorms. Still, she decided to at least let Aspen out of her crate. The marten leapt out onto Maya's shoulder as soon as the door was opened. "Hey, girl," Maya greeted, tickling the side of Aspen's narrow snout. Aspen let out a little chirruping noise and rubbed her forehead against Maya's ear.

"Maya, are you coming or not?" Lewis asked her, poking his head back into the compartment.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Maya said. She tried to get Aspen off of her shoulder, but the tiny animal refused to move. "Fine, but you're staying under the table. Do you understand?" Aspen made a chittering sound and got into a more comfortable position as she perched on Maya's shoulder. Maya began to follow after Carol, Charles, and Lewis, finding them waiting outside on the platform.

"Ready to go now?" Carol asked, giving Maya a lopsided grin. Maya nodded and they all started forward, talking about the large crowd of first-years arriving.

The eleven-year-olds were all very excited, eagerly following along the way to the boats, where they would get their first look at the school. Maya remembered back to her own first year and smiled as two of them accidentally bumped into her, murmuring quick and possibly frightened apologies. Oh, how old Maya suddenly felt. _Hang on, you're only_ fourteen _, remember? Hardly_ that _old!_

"Charles! Charles, there you are!" a voice called suddenly, and a young girl — Charles' age, with wide blue-green eyes and long brown hair that was shoulder-length — came bouncing up to the four of them.

"Astoria!" Charles grinned, rushing forward to hug the girl. Like Charles, she was wearing Slytherin robes. She was Charles' height, if not a little shorter, and seemed to have a sort of…cheerful energy around her. Her smile widened when she and Charles broke away from the hug, and he wasted no time introducing them to Maya, Carol, and Lewis, "This is my sister, Carol, and those are her two best friends, Lewis Hampton and Maya Kensington. Everyone, this is my best friend, Astoria Greengrass."

The girl waved, and her eyes fell on Maya and narrowed slightly, "Maya Kensington? I do believe I've heard about you…hmm…oh, yes. I've heard Draco Malfoy and his friends talk about you in the common room. Malfoy isn't too keen on the insults they give you, though. But…you are awful quiet, I've noticed last year that you don't talk much, so I understand why Pansy calls you a mute so often."

"Oh," Maya wasn't sure how to respond, so she shook her head and put on a little smile. "W-Well, you know how the old saying goes, right?" Astoria shook her head and Maya explained, "'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.'"

"I'm sorry if I've offended you," Astoria said as the group started to walk away, towards the carriages. "Malfoy tells them off whenever they make fun of you, at least, whenever they do it behind your back. Says that they should find something better to occupy their time with. I think he's a bit fond of you…are the two of you close friends or something?"

Carol and Lewis looked at Maya and then back at Astoria to see her reaction as Maya told her, "Well, I guess so. Whenever he isn't busy, we hang out sometimes. Ever since I met him on the train, at least." To break the awkwardness that followed, Maya joked, "It's nice to know he has a sense of loyalty, at least. One redeeming quality, right?"

"Oh, Kensington," cut in a teasing voice behind them. Maya and the others looked behind them to see Draco and his gang marching towards them, likely heading towards the carriages as well. There was a cocky smirk glued to Draco's face as he told her, "I didn't know you thought so highly of me." Draco and his friends were keeping pace with Maya and her friends.

"I don't," Maya shot back, matching his smirk.

"Feisty," he said, the two making eye contact. "I also never knew you had that sort of spunk in you, Kensington. I kind of like it," he winked, making Maya's throat tighten and her cheeks flush. Draco walked on ahead of them, calling over his shoulder, "I suppose I'll be seeing you around? Well, goodnight!"

Maya rolled her eyes, as did Carol and Lewis, though likely not for the same reason. She noticed that Astoria had been looking at her feet the whole time, her face tinged with a scarlet color. Charles was rubbing her back comfortingly. "Astoria, what's wrong? Are you all right?" Maya asked, a bit concerned for the younger girl.

Charles shook his head, "She always acts like this around Malfoy, or at least, whenever he talks she acts like this. _Especially_ when and _if_ he talks to _her_. I think she's got a crush on him, myself."

That comment earned him a prompt smack on the chest from Astoria, who had seemed to recover from her brief moment of silence, "I do not, Charles! And I'd appreciate it if you would not go about spreading such rumors. Perhaps, just once, you could mind your own business?" Charles shook his head and told her that he wouldn't, which caused Astoria to chase after him, attempting to hit him with a book she had with her. They ran off to one of the carriages, and vanished not long after that.

"If she wants Draco Malfoy," Carol yawned, "then she's wasting her time. He's nothing more than a pompous, spoiled brat."

"Maybe Maya, Parkinson, and Astoria are all out of their minds, which explains why they seem to be able to show any sort of affection or liking or friendship to Malfoy," Lewis said, pretending to be thoughtful. It was now Maya's turn to slap her friend, only there was no chase or anything to the carriage, as they had already reached it and were sitting down when she had hit him on the shoulder.

Upon their arrival at the castle, everyone had eagerly headed to a corridor that gave them all a clear view of the Black Lake. Maya was a bit confused as to why, but figured that, since they had time to spare until dinner, that she could risk a few minutes of curiousity, and she quickly learned that they had good reason to be so excited.

From where the corridor was, they could all see the arrival of another carriage. There were very large differences, though. Not only was this carriage decorated in a very fancy, pristine way, but it was also being pulled by flying horses. Maya wondered how the passengers in the carriage were not currently being victims of very painful head injuries, as well as possible fractures. However, she realize that the answer to that was probably very simple: magic.

Maya felt bad for poor Hagrid, who had to dive out of the way so that he wouldn't be trampled by the landing horses or the carriage they were pulling. The poor fellow was usually very sturdy, so it was a bit unnerving to see him look so shaken, but it would have been the normal reaction of anybody who had nearly been flattened by a flying carriage.

One of the Weasley twins commented 'you don't see that everyday' about the carriage, and Maya had to silently agree with them. You most definitely did not see a flying carriage (or flying horses) everyday, not even at Hogwarts.

Maya's life was starting to feel more and more like something out of a fantasy novel. Unicorns, centaurs, flying horses, giant squids, werewolves, dragons. So many unusual creatures that she had been told were fake for most of her life, were actually very, very real.

While everyone else continued to watch, Maya slipped away with Aspen, wanting to be the first at the table for dinner so that she could get a seat that she wanted without having to fight a large crowd. Everyone was currently distracted, so that wouldn't be very difficult for her to do at all.

* * *

Maya had ignored most of the sorting ceremony, not particularly interested in it. She wanted to hear about the purpose of the flying horses and their carriage, and who were the owners of said carriage and horses. She got her wish a few moments later when Professor Dumbledore started speaking at last, stepping up to his usual stand to address the students, "Now that we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement."

As he started talking, the doors to the Great Hall swung open with a squeak. Dumbledore seemed unfazed by this and went on, "This castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well," Mr. Filch had been the one to open the doors and was now puffing as he raced down the isle between the House tables, over to Dumbledore. "You see," Dumbledore said, "Hogwarts has been chosen —"

Mr. Filch reached Dumbledore and the elderly wizard stopped talking to hear what Filch had to say. For whatever reason, a lot of first years were giggling at this over at the Gryffindor table. Maya had no idea why, as there was nothing amusing it would seem. Filch and Dumbledore spoke veery quickly in very urgent, hushed whispers.

After a few moments of this, Filch raced off once more and Dumbledore began once again, "So," he said as if there had been no interruption, "Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event. The Triwizard Tournament," there was a brief pause as everyone registered what had just been said. A lot of people seemed extremely exited about this, but Maya could only remember a tiny bit of information from a book she had read during her first year. As if reading her mind, Dumbledore said, "Now, for those of you who do not know," Maya listened very intently, "The Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school, a single student is selected to compete."

"Now, let me be clear," Dumbledore said, more like his usual, stern self. "If chosen, you stand alone. Trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint hearted," Maya swallowed, wondering if it was voluntary or if they just drew from a hat or something. "But, more of that later," Dumbledore said, his tone light again. "For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their headmistress, Madame Maxime!"

Dumbledore hadn't finished talking before the doors to the Great Hall burst open and a group of very proper looking young women stepped into the hall. As they passed they did some sort of strange number where they would lean towards a table on one side, sigh very loudly, and bow slightly with their arm extended. They did this twice before they broke into a very girly sort of jog, their blue-silk robes flowing gracefully as they did this.

When they reached the other end of the hall, they spread out their arms and a bunch of either strange looking birds or strange looking butterflies, flew out of their robes and into the hall around them. After that, they started to split into groups, jogging to either side of the platform where the teachers would sit.

Once that was done, Maya and the others had a chance to notice the girls' headmistress as she walked down the isle, a proud smile on her face. She was taller than any woman Maya had ever seen before. She tried hard not to find this intimidating, but truth was, it was extremely intimidating to see a woman who looked like she could when an arm wrestle with Hagrid and break his arm in the process.

Ahead of the headmistress, were two girls with blonde hair. One was in the Beauxbatons uniform, while the other — who was younger and yet similar in appearance to the other — was in some sort of gymnastics uniform, as proven by the fact that she was doing flips all the way down the other end, until both stopped with Madame Maxime and the girls all did a curtsy while the Hogwarts students applauded their performance. Most of the attention was from the boys, though.

Dumbledore greeted the woman with a kiss on her hand and then ran up to address the school again, raising his hands for silence, "And now, our friends from the north. Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and their high master, Igor Karkaroff!"

Immediately, a group of boys, likely all through the ages of sixteen and eighteen, marched into the Great Hall, tapping the staffs they were all holding rhythmically, switching them from one hand to the other, and then switching again and holding them out, sounding off a sort of 'hooh!' sound when they did this, almost like it was a military formation. The continued to tap and switch and flip their staffs before they broke out into a run down the isle.

All of the Hogwarts students gasped and many stood up to get a clearer view of what was happening.

When the Durmstrang students reached the end of the isle, one of them began to flip and do many interesting tricks, while the others lined up. After that went on for a few seconds, two extremely grouchy looking men marched into the hall, dressed in warm clothes. A few people suck in sharp breaths in reaction to this and began to murmur two each other.

The student that had been doing the flips stopped, squatting down to blow into a hoop of fire. Out burst a fiery, bird-like shape that flew around, stopping in front of Dumbledore and spreading its wings out, almost as a sign of respect. After that, Dumbledore greeted Karkaroff and Dumbledore conjured some more tables and gave everyone permission to begin eating.

"Say, Maya," Lewis said to her as she began to fill her plate up. She looked at Lewis, giving him permission to go on and he said, almost jokingly, "Maybe one of those Durmstrang boys can show you what a real guy is supposed to be like and you'll open your eyes and stop wasting time with Malfoy."

Maya's eyes narrowed coldly and she dropped her fork with a clatter. Only a few people happened to see her angry expression as she snapped at Lewis in a hushed voice, "What is _that_ supposed to mean exactly?"

"I mean," Lewis said, taking a bite of chicken. "I mean that if you spend some time around one of the Durmstrang students, you'll realize how much of a slimy git that Malfoy is and we can all stop worrying about whether or not you're going to spontaneously ask us to waste our time in his presence," he said in a slightly annoyed and bitter tone. "Carol and I just don't like you hanging out with him, that's all."

"Well, that's really a shame," Maya frowned and went about finishing up her plate, "because it's really none of your business who I choose to be friends with. It's becoming quite tiresome when everybody wants to choose my friends for me. I'm sick of hearing it, so unless you have something that is actually valuable and worth my time and patience, then by all means, tell me. But, if all you have to say to me is essentially stop being friends with Malfoy, then kindly shut up," she took a sip of her drink. "Draco never tries to dictate who else I'm friends with, so I'm beginning to wonder who my real friends are."

"I didn't mean it like that," Lewis said, but didn't bother explaining just what he did mean it like, so Maya rolled her eyes and continued her meal, same as everyone else did.

Her eyes fell on Draco, sitting at the Slytherin table, where the Durmstrang students had also been set up next to. He happened to look over at a few Beauxbatons girls and his eyes lingered their a bit, causing Maya to feel a bit jealous. When Draco saw her watching him, he quickly smiled and looked away to hide the pink tint that was creeping up into his cheeks.

 _Interesting_ , she thought, feeling a bit funny. Maya had a sneaking suspicion as to what was causing the jealousy and her occasional queasy feeling in her stomach, but she pushed it down and shook the thought away. _No, no, no. Definitely not that. Maybe you're just getting sick, so you'll have to be sure to take care of yourself,_ her brain told her. And she bought it.

When Dumbledore started to explain the tournament further, Maya started to zone out. But a loud thunder-crack made her snap back into reality, as the enchanted ceiling began to thunder and flash a lot of lightning, bringing it out of the usual tranquilness. The students began to scream in fright, but a man off to the corner of the hall took out his wand and zapped the ceiling back to the normal way it should have been, much to everyone's relief.

A slightly pudgy man with a limp and ragged appearance started to make his way down to where the teachers sat. A lot of people were watching him suspiciously, even Maya. He had what appeared to be a prosthetic eye, as well as a prosthetic leg. Definitely not someone that Maya would want to spend a lot of time around, but the cold reminder that they were still missing a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher brought on the fact that this man, very likely, was the knew teacher for that class.

Dumbledore greeted him rather happily, though and later explained just what Maya was afraid of. The man — Alastor Moody — was the new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Well, this ought to be a fun year," Maya said to herself. "We're going to have Sir Scowls-a-lot as our teacher and three students will be competing in a dangerous tournament. Surely, nothing could go wrong, right?" she asked no one in particular. After they finished eating, they went to bed, like any other first night back.

Tomorrow would definitely be something different.


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note:  
(This will be very important, but also a bit long, just so ya'll know)

 _In response to a guest review from Ryo-_

First off, your reviews are probably the highlight of my day! I'm so glad you're exited for this year (hope you're as exited as I am!). A lot of things will definitely be happening between the two of them for this year.

As for your idea about the older Slytherins playing a prank on Maya because of how quiet she is, and they put her name in the Goblet and she got chosen, I really love that idea, so thank you for that! I guess you could say that the chapter is dedicated to you, then? Since it was originally your suggestion.

—

Now, since I've responded to the guest review, I feel that I should justify why I'm adding Maya into the Triwizard Tournament? Mainly because when I asked my friends and family what they would do, they said changing it and putting Maya in would make her instantly unlikeable, but adding a fan character into a canon event does not make her instantly a mary sue, okay? Good.

First off, the only thing in canon that changes is that there's one more champion in the Tournament. Maya doesn't become besties with the other champions, she doesn't save Cedric, or duel Voldemort, she just goes about her business and competes normally. Nobody who lived ends up dying, and nobody who died ends up living. Like I said, all that changes is the number of people competing.

Yay, now she gets to watch Cedric die and then see a duel between the Dark Lord Moldy-warts and Harry Pottah and **_she does absolutely nothing to help or change anything that happened_**! Wow, she's such a huge mary sue now, right guys? (Sorry about the sarcasm, okay? It just happened)

Secondly, people may be wondering how she got chosen. Well, Barty Crouch Jr. (disguised as Moody) said that it would have taken a very powerful Confundus Charm to trick the Goblet into forgetting that only one champion from one of three schools could be chosen. Well, a Confundus Charm cast by three seventh years (if it can work like that, I mean, it's possible, because we know that Stupefy works with more than one person casting it at the same target) would be pretty powerful, right?

—

So, that's me trying to get everyone to not come at me with pitchforks. I usually stick to canon pretty closely, but this seemed like a really interesting way to go, and I've never seen this angle taken in a Draco x OC story.

Now, before you review 'That never happened!111!', please take into account the author's note **_and_ **the fact that this is _fan fiction_. A lot of things are going to happen in fanfic that never actually happened in the story, all right?

Also, I apologize if it seems rushed in any way. I had another version of this chapter which I felt was at just the right pacing, but accidentally deleted it when I was half-asleep. Unfortunately for me, FF does not have a document recovery option, but they really should consider that. Setting that aside, I do like this chapter.

Well, enough of my rambling. We have a story to get onto. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Twenty (Year Four): The Fifth Champion

"Come on you guys, please!" Draco tried to bury his face in the book he was reading and drown out Pansy's annoying pleading with three older Slytherins. She had been going on and on, begging the seventh years to do something for her, but whatever it was they were refusing to do. Draco eventually gave up on peace and quiet and tried to listen in on what was being said.

"What's in it for us?" asked one of them, looking up from a letter he was writing to home. His brown eyes gave away his annoyance, while his face bore an unreadable expression. He seemed determined to act as if he wasn't bothered by having Pansy shaking his arm like a toddler trying to get their parent to do something for them. "We don't even know who's name you want us to put in

"Well..." Pansy let go of his arm and leaned close to the table, lowering her voice so that Draco had to get up and moved close behind the group in order to hear what she was saying. "You guys know that Ravenclaw that Draco is always sticking up for? Maya Kensington? I wanted to play a prank and put her name in it. If she gets chosen, it'll not only get her in trouble, but she could get pretty seriously injured in the tournament itself."

"Oh," said another one of them, "do you mean the scrawny one that never talks? The one that I believe Professor Quirrell went to soft on during our first year? That Mudblood one?"

"Yeah, I think that's her," the only girl out of the three had finished writing her own letter back home and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Didn't Malfoy say she was a Half-Blood though?" the three looked at Pansy for an answer, but they caught sight of Draco standing just a few inches behind Pansy and they looked away innocently.

Pansy was likely about to say something, but Draco cut in, "Yes, Malfoy _did_ say that, didn't he?"

"Draco!" Pansy whirled around. "Just…how much did you hear?"

Draco crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes, but he said cooly, "Enough. And definitely enough to say that I'm informing Professor Snape of what you were planning."

As he began to walk away, Pansy calmly said, "Oh, Draco, I thought you knew which side you were on."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, frowning and turning around to glare at Pansy.

Pansy slipped a few spare galleons she had out of her pocket and onto the table in front of the seventh years, who eagerly got upon writing down Kensington's name. Pansy smiled and walked over to Draco, slipping her arms around his and resting her head on his shoulder. Draco tried to move away, but her grip was stronger than it seemed as she began to talk, "I just meant that I thought you and I were friends. Rather close friends, actually. Surely you realize that this is just a harmless prank on the poor little Ravenclaw, right? It's not as if she would actually be chosen."

Draco felt himself embarrassed to be standing in the common room, with three seventh years looking at him expectantly. He sighed, remembering his reputation for what had to have been the millionth time since meeting Kensington. Draco realized that Pansy had a point. He couldn't let some crush ruin the only friendships he had. Scoffing, he said, "Oh, fine then. I suppose, if it's just a prank…especially one on that annoying Mudblood…go ahead, then."

"I knew you'd see reason," Pansy said, releasing his arm at once. "Don't worry, Draco. There's like…a one out of a million chance that Kensington will actually get chosen. And we'll be careful not to get caught by Filch, so you don't have to worry about that…well, goodnight, then," she said as she began to follow the seventh years outside.

 _Stop worrying about Kensington_ , he thought as he headed up to the boys' dormitory. _They probably just want to feel important for having thought of this 'clever plan'. She just_ couldn't possibly _be chosen...right_?

* * *

Maya and Lewis both came down the steps from their dormitories and into the common room at the same time, having arranged a time to get up early and talk before it became noisy and crowded with their nosy housemates.

"So, I'm curious about something I read about the tournament," Maya told him as she hopped over the last two stairs and then paused to wait for Lewis to step down from the staircase. "You see, I got curious, so I checked the shelves for a book on the tournament. I found one, and I read it in just a few hours; it wasn't very long, you see," she walked over to one of the chairs by the window and plopped down, showing Lewis the book as he took a seat in the chair next to hers. "It said that they stopped hosting the tournament because of a high death toll during them."

"Well, I suspect that's why they have an eighteen year old limit this time," Lewis told her, flipping through the book briefly and then setting it on the side-table between the chairs. "I guess it's so the competitors are more skilled in magic."

"Ah, because they'll be seventh years if they're from Hogwarts, meaning they'll know more advanced spells to use in their defense, lowering the chance of them dying," Maya said, looking down as Aspen leapt into her lap before jumping onto the back of the chair and looking out the window, ears perked. "I don't know why anyone would want to compete in the tournament, though. Seems a bit dangerous, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Lewis said, his blue eyes flitting across the room as if he was making sure no one else was there. "They might do it for the glory, or because they enjoy difficult challenges. Or, they might be in it for the prize of 1,000 galleons."

"Eh," Maya shrugged. "While the money could be useful, I just don't understand why you would enter something and risk your life all for glory and money. There are far more important things than that, all of which you can have without getting any limbs torn off by something."

"I agree," said Lewis, both of them turning to look out the window.

From the looks of the sky, and the fact that raindrops were already starting to sprinkle onto the windows, it was probably going to rain that day. Most definitely, should you ask Maya what she thought. She wasn't bothered, though. Maya liked the rain, and the cold rain would be a nice change from the heat of the summer.

The awkward silence that fell over them was filled by the loud bell in the tower, chiming to announce the arrival of a new hour. Maya and Lewis both checked their watches. Indeed, it was now seven o' clock in the morning. Their fellow Ravenclaws would soon be down and preparing for the day.

"Shall we go on and go downstairs to breakfast?" Lewis suggested, grinning in the goofy sort of way he always did. It was one of the strange things both Maya and Carol had discovered about him, but Maya suspected that Carol liked it in a different way than Maya did.

"Yes, I think we should," she replied, hopping out of the chair. Maya ran a hand from the top of Aspen's head down her back and told her, "Come on girl, it's breakfast time." Aspen's attention was brought from the birds that flapped around outside the window and instantly changed to Maya, tilting her brown head to one side. Maya extended her arm and Aspen happily climbed up her arm and onto her shoulder, curling her tail around her paws as she sat down and Maya told her, "Good girl."

"You're eventually going to get in trouble for bringing her to breakfast, you do know that, right?" Lewis asked, waiting at the now open common room door.

Maya chuckled as she stepped out onto the landing, taking a step down a few of the stairs, "Well, it'll be worth it."

* * *

"So, did you actually do it?" Draco asked Pansy as he and his group of 'friends' headed out for breakfast.

Blaise kept to the center, with Crabbe and Goyle in the back of the group, and pretended to occupy himself with looking at the ceiling a lot. He Slytherin was leaning in between Draco and Pansy curiously, listening to what they were saying. Draco looked back at him, "Do you mind, Blaise? Personal space seems to be something you only respect for yourself…" Blaise put a calm look on his face and slowed his walking speed.

"Er…" Pansy feigned a look of innocence. "What are you talking about, Draco? Did I…actually do…what?"

"Put Kensington's name in the Goblet," Draco lowered his voice as soon as they stepped into the Great Hall, his eyes instantly landing on the Goblet. Pansy nodded in response and he groaned subconsciously. "I was afraid of that."

"Why?" asked Blaise. "Because your poor, precious, mute girlfriend might get picked from the cup…or — or…get in trouble! Poor Malfoy, what ever will he do..." When Blaise said 'girlfriend' Pansy wrinkled her nose.

"Just bugger off, will you?" Draco shot back as they took a seat at the Sytherin table. "It just wasn't a good thing to do, okay? Secondly, how do _you_ know about this, Blaise?"

"Oh," Blaise looked surprised. "Didn't Pansy tell you? It was originally my idea to talk those three into doing it. She just executed the plan." Pansy and Blaise both shared a look of mutual distaste, as if neither wished to share the credit. Draco figured that they probably didn't want to, judging by the way they were acting towards each other.

"Well, that's all fine, but one other thing: will you lot stop referring to that worthless Mudblood as my girlfriend, all right?" the words came out in a far too natural way for him, and his conscious went back to conflicting with itself in the back of his mind. Blaise and Pansy went silent after that, the looks they exchanged being ones of embarrassment, if that was possible from the two of them.

Draco rolled his eyes and finished preparing his plate. However, as he began to eat, his eyes looked from the goblet of fire and back over to the Ravenclaw table where he could see Kensington laughing at something that her friend, Hampton, had said. It was a bit strange, seeing her laughing. Draco was lucky if he could get more than a light chuckle. She was very reserved when it came to showing joy for some reason.

He felt jealous all of a sudden, but then thought about the mischievous look on Pansy's face as she looked towards the goblet and he made sure that the feeling vanished as fast as possible. _You better be safe, Kensington_ , he thought, turning away from Maya and then glaring at Pansy as she looked at him with innocent eyes. Who knows what Pansy's tried to do...

* * *

Maya looked at her class schedule as she and Carol stepped out into the hallway and just barely resisted the urge to groan in frustration. The very class that she had been both looking forward to and dreading at the same time had been Defense Against the Dark Arts.

It wasn't that she was bad at the class, no, quite the opposite. Defense Against the Dark Arts was her best class, possibly her favorite next to Care of Magical Creatures (which she had started last year). But, what she was dreading was actually their new professor, Professor Moody.

All she had to go on was what he did as a profession prior to arriving at Hogwarts (a dark wizard catcher, evidently) and his name, Moody. Judging by just that, it probably meant that he was not very patient. Maya had the feeling that he wouldn't be relatable and soft-spoken like Professor Quirrell had been, nor would he be incompetent like Professor Lockhart was, and he definitely wouldn't be friendly and understanding like their last professor, Professor Lupin, had been. No, Moody didn't sound like either one of those three.

"Maya?" Carol asked, bringing Maya from her thoughts. "Are you all right? You have a very funny look on your face…"

"Hmm…? Oh..." Maya looked up and then showed the class schedule to Carol. "It's just…Defense Against the Dark Arts is next. What if I make a fool of myself and Moody gets mad and hexes me or something."

"Why would he do that? He's our teacher, now, and I'm pretty sure that the only punishment they can give us is detention, and the worse you'd probably have to do for that is clean something incredibly disgusting looking up or write a few paragraphs saying you won't do something again. I'm also pretty sure that messing up isn't something that they can punish you for," Carol pointed out. "Don't worry. I know that the youngest Weasley boy, Donald or whatever his name is, and then Longbottom, Crabbe, Goyle…they all mess up in huge ways, but they've never punished them for it."

"I guess you're right," she folded the piece of paper that had the schedule on it back into her pocket as they turned down the corridor that led to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "But still, have you _seen_ Professor Moody? He spent all of breakfast staring — or at least I think he was staring — at Potter. When he noticed that I had noticed him staring, he fixed me with this really creepy look before turning away again. I'm pretty sure that the professors are supposed to be here to teach us, not terrify us."

"Well," Carol stopped when they reached the door, "you're about to find out what sort of professor that Moody is," Maya grabbed her friend's hand, and Carol gave her a reassuring smile. "Come on, let's go in and make the best of it. It's your best class, what could possibly go wrong?"

The two of them stepped inside the classroom and looked around. They let go of each others' hand when they noticed that Moody wasn't there yet. They took seats behind Draco and Goyle. Draco turned back as they sat down and smiled at Maya, then smirked at Carol. Carol responded to this by sticking her tongue out as she sat down and then ignoring him after that. Maya and Draco made eye contact and Maya shrugged, smiling a bit as a hello.

They didn't have to wait long before Professor Moody arrived, stepping in front of a blackboard and surveying the room before he started speaking. Or rather, introduce himself, "Alastor Moody," he said, grabbing a piece of chalk and proceeding to write his name on the blackboard behind him. "Ex-Auror. Ministry Malcontent. And your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," he turned back around and looked out into the classroom once again. "I am here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story, goodbye, the end! Any questions?"

There was no response to this. Only silence, save for the faint sound of a quill being placed onto a desk. It was a moment or to before Moody began speaking again, "When it comes to the dark arts, I believe in a practical approach," Maya gulped, wondering just how practical Moody would be with said dark arts. She listened carefully as he continued, "But first, which of you can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are."

Again, no response came for a while until Granger said in a very shaky voice, "Three, sir."

"And they are so named?" asked Moody as he almost lunged at the blackboard, scraping the chalk across it to write some hard to read words on the board.

Granger responded once more, her voice still shaky, "Because they are unforgivable…the use of any one of them will —"

"Earn you a _one way ticket to Azkaban_. Correct!" Moody interrupted through gritted teeth, finishing with the writing on the board. As Maya predicted, it was as unreadable as his name was. He had incredibly untidy handwriting. A brief pause and then he addressed the class again, this time in a more angry, out of breath sort of way, "Now the ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different!" Maya flinched as Moody's half-shout echoed around the classroom. Moody slowly raised his voice the more he talked, "You need to know _what_ you're up against, you need to be prepared!" he stopped writing and then shouted, "And you need to find a better place to put your chewing gum than the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnegan!"

Everyone in the class turned to look at Seamus Finnegan, a Gryffindor boy, as he said in a hushed voice, "Aw, no way! The old codger can see out of the back of his head!"

Moody whipped around, tossing the chalk at Finnegan's head, causing many people to gasp in surprise and flinch away as Moody shouted, "AND HEAR ACROSS CLASSROOMS!" there was a silence as everyone turned to look back at Moody, looking very frightened as he lowered his voice and asked menacingly, "So…which curse shall we see first?" he paused and then looked down at a very nervous Ronald Weasley and shouted, "WEASLEY!"

"Yes?" Weasley asked nervously.

"Stand!" Moody ordered. Maya felt sympathy for Weasley as he slowly stood up, looking very pale and scared. Moody lowered his voice a few levels, "Give us a curse…"

"Well," he started quietly. "M-My dad did tell me about one…" Moody looked at him expectantly and Weasley went on, "T-The Imperius Curse?"

"Oh, yes," Moody said. "You're father would know all about that. Gave the ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago," he looked around the class, still standing in front of Weasley. Maya was wondering if he would elaborate on that any further, but all he said was, "Perhaps this will show you why," and then walked back over to the front of the classroom.

Maya watched carefully, feeling a pit form in her stomach. Something about the way he said that didn't sit well with her and she wanted to see just what he was about to do. Moody opened a jar and said a friendly 'hello' to what was in said jar. He reached inside and allowed a tiny little spider to crawl up his hand, taking out his wand and pointing it at the spider, he said, "Engorgio," and the spider grew in size so that it looked to be the size of a tennis ball. After he was done with that, he shouted, "Imperio!" and again pointed his wand at the spider, then flicked his wand out.

The spider, which Maya could get a clear view of, flitted out in the direction the wand had been pointed in and landed on the desk of two Gryffindor boys, who shuddered and moved away from it. Several people laughed. Moody once again flicked his wand and the spider flew out and landed on Crabbe's head, causing him to freak out and whimper as Moody moved the spider across the top of his head.

"Don't worry!" Moody shouted cheerfully as again, the class laughed. "It's completely harmless!"

"I don't see how this is funny," Maya whispered to Carol as Moody flicked his wand and the spider landed on a girl's hand and crawled up her arm. Many people shrieked with laughter at this and Moody chuckled. He caused the spider to float over and land on Weasley's head, remarking that her bite was lethal. Maya scowled and turned to Carol, "I read about those spiders when my mum had me doing Muggle schoolwork over the summer. They're harmless to humans…"

She trailed off as Moody had the spider land on Draco's face. Draco began to panic and shouted, "Get it off!" Goyle could do nothing but swat at it, which didn't help Draco much at all. Everyone in the class roared with laughter at this, with Potter and Weasley clapping their hands, grinning broadly. Even Carol joined in, much to Maya's annoyance.

She was about to get up and help her friend, but froze in place as soon as Moody started talking again, "Talented isn't she? What shall I have her do next? Jump out the window?" he was smiling and he flicked his wand, sending the spider flying towards the window, stopped only by a large magnifying glass. His face and tone went serious again, "Drown herself?" he maneuvered the enlarged creature above a water bucket, holding her just so she splashed at the water when she squirmed and squealed with fright.

It looked as if the spider was about to fall in the water and Maya wanted to shout at Moody and tell him to cut it out. But as she sucked in a breath to do just that, he moved the spider away from the bucket and back into his hand. Everyone seemed to have figured out how serious the use of the Imperius Curse actually was, however amusing they had previously thought it to be.

"Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the Imperius Curse," Moody told the class. "But, how do we sort out the liars?"

Nobody answered this question, so Moody moved on, "Let's have another. Another, come on, up, up," several people raised their hands, including Neville Longbottom, who Moody chose to answer, "Longbottom, is it? Up," Longbottom stood up nervously, avoiding eye contact. Moody appeared to be trying to seem semi-friendly towards him by stating, "Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for Herbology."

Longbottom nodded and then named another of the curses, "T-There's the um…the Cruciatus Curse."

"Correct! Correct!" Moody said. "Come!" he beckoned for Longbottom to follow him over to his desk, where he placed the spider down on the desk and then said, "Particularly nasty…" and he made sure Longbottom was standing in clear view of the spider, "The torture curse," Moody said, pointing his wand at the spider again and shouting, "Crucio!"

Maya winced as the spider began making a shrill squealing noise and squirming around, clearly in an immense amount of pain. The longer the curse went on, the louder and more painful the spider's crying became, changing the levels too. It's squirming was more violent as well. Right when Maya had started to have enough and wanted someone to do something about it, Granger came to the rescue.

"Stop it! Can't you see it's bothering him! STOP IT!"

Moody looked between Granger and then Longbottom and flicked his wand away. The spider went silent, shuddering as it scrunched itself up. Professor Moody collected the spider and then moved over slowly to Granger's desk, setting the spider down on top of her books, clearing his throat, "Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse, Miss Granger?" Granger shook her head, her eyes tearing up. "No?" there was a pause and then he shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" there was a flash of green light from Moody's wand, a shriek, and the spider fell, its body crumpling up. Dead.

Maya looked at the spider's dead body from across the room and scowled. She got up out of her chair, casting one last glare at Moody and then pushed open the door to the classroom, being sure to slam it on the way out. Maya knew that she wasn't the only one bothered by what had happened. She couldn't see why someone could throw away a life like that, whether it was a spider or not. Out loud, to herself, she growled, "I hate that guy…"

* * *

Draco didn't see Kensington for the rest of the day, since she walked out of their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. He'd have been lying if he said that Moody's lesson hadn't been bothering him as well. Draco hadn't expected her to actually walk out on a class, especially not during Defense Against the Dark Arts.

He had searched the school once classes had ended for the day, but had been unable to find her. Her pet, Aspen, had found Draco and refused to stop following him. Draco had given in an allowed the ferret-like animal to perch on his shoulder as he continued to search for her owner. The last place he had looked for her was outside, on the grounds. Kensington did enjoy climbing trees and reading in them. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before.

So he walked outside of the castle, dodging out of the way as several people came running inside. The rain was starting to pick up, being worse than it had been earlier in the day, but it was the only place he could think of to look for her.

Aspen chittered in annoyance as Draco took a step out into the rain, and as he pulled the top of his cloak over his head, she hurried to scramble around the back of his neck in such a way that shielded her from the rain as well and somehow didn't make his neck hurt. As he began to look up into tree branches, he decided to talk to the only company he had, "You know, I really do not know how Kensington can stand having you on her shoulder constantly. No pun intended here, but you're a bit of a pain in the neck."

Draco awaited Aspen's reply, but none came, so he went on, "Maybe that's why you're so close. You both are thorns in my side, and you don't seem at all bothered by it," this time Aspen did respond to him. By biting his ear. Draco winced and reached behind his neck, but pulled his hand back when Aspen bit his finger. Again, he winced, "All right, you win. Like I said…"

"Draco?" a voice said from above him in the branches of one of the trees he was about to check. He looked up and sure enough, Kensington was perched in the branches, her cloak pulled over her head. She had been outside for a good amount of time, enough for her robes to get soaked, at least. She looked down at him, her eyes looking a bit puffy, "What are you doing out in the rain?"

"Looking for you, actually," Draco huffed. Aspen jumped off his shoulder and expertly climbed up the tree to sit on Kensington's knees, which were pulled up to her chest. Draco reached for the lowest hanging branch that he could and pulled himself up, just like she had taught him. In a few moments, he was sitting on a branch opposite of her. The rain had started to fall harder now, so to talk to her he had to raise his voice just a little, "Why'd you walk out of Moody's class? I thought you liked Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"I do…or rather…I did," Kensington shrugged. "I don't like seeing anything living being harmed. I didn't like seeing Moody torture that spider, and I definitely did not approve of him killing it. If anybody knew what he had done I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would send him off faster than you could say 'unforgivable'."

Draco wrinkled his nose, "Who knows. Dumbledore probably approved of it. I mean, the old fool hired him, didn't he? Same with Hagrid. Need I remind you what his teaching did to me?"

Kensington rolled her eyes, "Draco, that was only partly his fault, you know? You didn't help by letting jealousy go to your head like that. Potter did a good job, and you shouldn't have gotten so uptight about the praise he was getting," she sighed. "But, we're off topic now, aren't we? Personally, I'd like nothing more than to go home right now."

"Do you not like Hogwarts?" Draco asked, feeling hurt by the comment. He knew he shouldn't, but he liked having Kensington around and he didn't like the thought that she possibly didn't want to spend time around him, around Hogwarts…well, it was a tad offensive.

"No, I just…wish we could do without professors who act as if they've lost their minds," Kensington said. "I love Hogwarts, I really do, and I love magic, and — and learning magic, and I love my friends, and y—" she cut herself off and Draco looked at her, hoping she'd continue. Kensington cleared her throat, checking her watch, "I-It's getting late. You should probably head back to the Great Hall now."

"What about you? Aren't you coming?" Draco asked her.

"Yes, I'll just…I'll be in there later, all right?" she said, giving him a half-hearted smile.

"Very well," he slid down from the tree, looking back up when he hit the ground. "You sure you're going to be all right? Do you need anything?"

"No, no," she shook her head. "I'll be fine. I should be in before they choose the champions. Or I'll try to be, at least. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess?"

"Goodnight, Kensington," Draco called up and he turned back towards the castle. His throat tightened as he began to walk away. He had almost added an 'I love you' before that 'goodnight', but he'd barely stopped himself. _Pull yourself together, Malfoy,_ he told himself and continued back to the castle, looking back at the tree one last time before he reached the doors.

* * *

Maya hadn't kept her promise to go in before the champions were chosen. Instead, she came in at what was possibly the worst possible time. Everyone was murmuring about something. It wasn't hard to pick up on the anger and anxiety in the crowd. Potter's name was being yelled by Dumbledore, but as soon as he saw Maya, his already furious gaze seemed to worsen.

Professor Flitwick rushed her and she instinctively took a step back as he started talking in an urgent voice, "Miss Kensington! Where have you been — y-your robes are soaked!" Maya started to reply, but he waved a hand for silence, "Never mind that, we'll fix it later. Right now we need you and Mr. Potter to come with us to Dumbledore's office, do you understand?"

"I-I…yes, sir…?" Maya felt him give her a light shove forward and she followed Potter out of the crowd and up to where Dumbledore's office was. Inside, what could only be the three champions, were pacing back and forth across the office. They all looked up as Maya and Harry showed up. Quietly, Maya asked Harry, "Potter…do you have any idea what this is all about?"

"Trust me," he whispered back. "I'm just as in the dark as you are…"

The professors arrived not long after that, but Flitwick and Sprout escorted Maya to a different part of the office and gave her a change of robes and a towel to dry off with, as well as a cup of warm white tea in the case that the time in the rain had caused a cold. 'Preventative medicine' they called it, recommended by Madame Pomfrey.

Maya had tried several times to get an answer from them about what was going on whenever they went over to check on her, as she heard shouting from the others. Something about Potter's name being put in the Goblet by someone, but Maya couldn't hear key elements to the conversation. At last, Flitwick answered her question, "Someone put your name and Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire. Somehow, they were chosen from the Goblet. We don't know about how yours got chosen, though."

"I-I didn't ask someone to put it in, I-I promise," Maya said, shivering and taking a sip of tea from her cup.

Flitwick didn't get to answer her, as Dumbledore, Snape, McGonnagall, and Moody all came marching over to where she was. Dumbledore's eyes were narrowed, "Miss Kensington," he said in a stern voice. "You wouldn't have asked an older student to put your name in the Goblet, did you?"

"N-n-no sir, I-I didn't," Maya knew she was stuttering again. "I wouldn't d-do that."

"I can attest to that, Dumbledore," Flitwick said. "Kensington isn't the kind of person who'd break the rules like that."

"Yes," Snape said, observing her. "I've seen her around Mr. Malfoy quite a bit. Then there's that boy and girl she hangs around when she's not with them…but outside of those three and the ferret that she keeps as a pet, she had absolutely no friends. I highly doubt she'd be able to overcome her stuttering long enough to ask one of them anyways."

Maya's shoulder's sagged more than they already did. She was sure she did seem pathetic, especially now, all frizzy haired and tired looking. Quietly, and while looking down at her tea, she said to Dumbledore, "I have no desire to compete in the tournament. If anything, I despise the mere _idea_ of such a 'game'. Is there any way that I could…not compete?"

The teachers looked surprised by this, but it was Moody who spoke up, "No, unfortunately. Once you get chosen, there's a sort of magical contract that binds you to it. As far as that Goblet is concerned, you made the commitment and you're going to compete in the tournament, whether or not you actually want to or not," he stared down at her. She imagined he was offended by her walking out on him in the middle of a class like that, but she tried to push it to the back of her mind. "Which means, you will be the unlucky fifth champion in the tournament…"

"Well…" Dumbledore sighed. "It's getting late. Miss Kensington, you may go to your dormitory for the night. Talk to no one, do you understand? They'll likely have nothing kind to say to you, at least I'd imagine they don't. Go on, off to bed, now."

Maya hesitantly left, aware of the teachers watching her as she went.

* * *

Draco had headed down to Professor Snape's office, worried for Kensington. He had spent enough time interrogating Pansy to learn that she had made sure Kensington's name got chosen from the Goblet. Draco didn't want to be seen in a bad light with his friends, but he didn't want one of his other friends to get hurt or get in trouble because he held back information.

He reached the door and knocked on it. Professor Snape opened it up only seconds later and narrowed his eyes coldly, "Mr. Malfoy? To what do I owe the pleasure? Shouldn't you be in bed, asleep, by now, like the rest of your housemates?"

"Sir, may I come in?" Draco asked and a few moments passed before Snape stepped aside and allowed Draco to enter the office. "I…I know who put Maya Kensington's name in the Goblet of Fire and I know who put the Confundus Charm on it so that it would pick her from it. I figured that you and Professor Dumbledore might like this information?"

Snape nodded, "Yes, we would indeed. Who was it then?"

"Pansy Parkinson…and…three seventh years, but…I don't know their names. I could point them out to you if I saw them again, though," Draco told him.

"And you're sure of this?" Snape questioned, eyes cold and his tone steady.

Draco nodded, "Kensington wouldn't break the rules like that, sir, believe me. I've known her since first year. It wasn't her fault that Pansy wanted to play a prank on her and I hope Dumbledore isn't planning on punishing her because of it," he looked around. "I'm sorry to bother you sir, I just thought you ought to know. Please tell Dumbledore what I told you?"

"Certainly. You may go, if that's all," Snape told him, turning away. Draco nodded and started out the door. "Oh, and Mr. Malfoy?" Draco stopped and looked back at Snape, raising an eyebrow. "I've seen the way you look at her sometimes, whether the two of you are together or across the Great Hall. A word of advice to you: tell her that you love her before someone else does."

At first, Draco wanted to deny the claims that Snape was making, but he knew it was pretty pointless. Instead, he just nodded, "Thank you, sir. I'll remember that…" and he shut the door, returning to his dormitory, Snape's words still in his mind.


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note:

 _In response to a guest review from Ryo-_

Yes, Snape ships Draya (Mayco doesn't have as nice a ring as Draya does :P)!

As for Blaise's personality, I went off of what they put into the wiki: " _Blaise seemed to be a highly arrogant person, who looked down on nearly everyone and everything_ _…Blaise was prejudiced against Muggles, Muggle-borns, and those who were accepting of them…_ _However, he also did not seem to hold a high opinion of followers of Voldemort, as he taunted Draco on his father being outed as a Death Eater. It seemed he was so arrogant that he was more or less indifferent and dismissive of everyone, regardless of status_ _…_ "  
You can find his full personality description on his page on the HP wiki, I just put down what was relevant to my answer and his personality in this story. Blaise strikes me as someone who's outer shell is pretty hard to get past, so I don't interpret him being super nice to others unless he wants to be, but you're right, we all have different perspectives on things.

Now, thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. I'm always afraid to change things because I think too much of what others opinions are, but you've given me the encouragement I needed to be more open to changing things. I guess I already put her in the tournament, so she might as well have interact more with the other competitors, right? Rather than just being 'there'.

Finally, Draco won't be her date to the Yule Ball, not exactly, but I do have something special planned for it!

P.S. I loved how you called Harry 'Harry I'll-Save-Everyone Potter'! That made me laugh!

 _In response to Ryo's second review, posted the other day-_

I really enjoyed your opinion on what could happen. I really like that idea, actually. Maybe it'll be what I go with instead of at the end of the year. I think it works better in the middle, now that you put it like that. I'll be looking forward to hearing more from you.

—

I apologize for any mistakes with the timeline or pacing, I'm not really sure if there are any, though.

This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but I wanted to keep certain events separate. The first task will be in the next chapter, but this one is the ferret incident (ah, best scene ever…lol) and a bit of hanging out.

* * *

Chapter Two (Year Four): Ferrets and Dragons

No one would look at her, or talk to her. If they did say something to her, it wasn't something one would consider kind. Time in the common room was usually full of tension, and walks around the school grounds earned her judgmental glares from anyone who saw her. The only ones at least trying to be friendly were Lewis, Carol, and Draco, but being around them was still pretty frustrating and stressful.

Carol was a bit more suspicious of Maya's alibi, also less friendly with her because of the doubts she had about Maya's honesty. Lewis had said that it was because Cedric was the real champion, not Potter or Maya, and how Carol thought that the other houses were trying to steal glory from Hufflepuff. Apparently he had gotten Carol to spill that bit of information during one of their many one-on-one conversations with each other, which became more and more frequent the more they excluded Maya.

As for being around Draco, it wasn't as bad, but didn't really help with her mood. He was the only one who knew _exactly_ how her name had been chosen from the Goblet of Fire, as he had (almost) been a witness to it. Everyone else could only go by what the teachers and what Draco and Maya said. He was only frustrating to be around mainly due to his newfound overprotectiveness of her.

So when Maya finally got most of the afternoon by herself (which she only got because she assured Draco that they would study together later), she was practically leaping with joy. She had plans to take Aspen, find a book to read, and head off to the most secluded place she could find in the castle. That didn't go as planned.

Everywhere she went, there were usually large clusters of students, usually going out of there way whenever they saw her and making it difficult for her to pass down any corridors or into abandoned classrooms to read. A few of them insulted her, or Aspen, and at one point a group of older Slytherins and a few older Ravenclaws snatched up her book and she had to fight for it.

She gave up, letting them keep the book. So long as the Ravenclaws brought it back to their common room — as she had gotten it off of one of the shelves — then it wasn't that big of a deal. Maya still had one other book she was reading, and the books she needed to study, so decided to just go out to the tree in the courtyard that she and Draco had occasionally studied in during previous school years.

"Kensington! Kensington, wait up!" Maya stopped and turned around when she heard someone calling her name. Potter was coming towards her, jogging lightly. When he caught up to her, he looked out of breath. She raised an eyebrow expectantly, and after he took a few breaths, he began to talk, "I've been looking all over for you or Cedric. You're pretty hard to find, you know? I mean…you walk fast, that's all."

"O-Oh," Maya said quietly. "S-sorry. I never really paid attention. No one's ever mentioned it to me. I-It might have something to do with the fact that I'm shorter than most of the people I know," she explained. "They all have longer legs than I do, so I'd have to walk fast to keep up. Now, it's just my regular pace for walking, I suppose."

"Right," Potter nodded. He was acting in an oddly jumpy sort of way. Quickly, he began talking once again, "I need to tell you and Cedric something. Umm, well, you know the first task, right?"

Maya nodded, "I know of the first task in the tournament, but I have no idea what it is or what it could be. A bit annoying, really, considering it isn't too far away. It's something difficult, no doubt about that."

"It's going to be _very_ difficult," Potter nodded. "They're going to be pitting us against dragons. For the first task, we have to fight a dragon."

"A-Are you sure? Who told you this?" Maya felt her stomach twisting in knots at the thought of having to fight a dragon, while at the same time a part of her was saying not to trust Potter, even though he'd never given her reason to not trust him. The only real reason she could think of as to why she didn't like him was his rivalry with Draco. The other part of her reminded her to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Hagrid did. The other night…" Potter told her. "Look, I'm sorry that Parkinson and those three older Slytherins played a prank on you. If I could have had a choice being in the audience and being in the tournament, I know I would have chosen the audience. Surely we aren't much different in that sense?" Maya nodded. She couldn't argue with him there. He continued, "And I know that you and Malfoy are good friends, and I know that he and I hate each other, but you have got to believe me, okay? I'm telling the truth."

"I don't doubt you, Potter," Maya lied, and quite successfully too, judging by the look of relief that spread across his face. "I should be going now. Maybe I'll see you around?" she tried for a reassuring, half-smile, which he returned. Just before she slipped out of the hallway and into the courtyard, she told him, "Thank you, Harry. Maybe you aren't as bad as Draco makes you out to be."

Maya left Potter and stepped out into the courtyard, looking around for Draco. She saw him and his gang hanging out by a tree, laughing about something. She rolled her eyes and reached for Aspen to make sure she was still on her shoulder (which she was) and then pulled her books close to her, approaching the tree carefully, hoping that she could slip by and get to Draco without drawing too much attention to herself.

Draco turned around and smiled when he saw her, "I was wondering when you'd be showing up. C'mere, I've got something to show you!"

"Erm…okay?" Maya said quietly, shrinking under the contemptuous glares from Draco's 'friends'. She tried to look submissive and harmless, unlike Aspen, who's fur was raised. Chuckling awkwardly, Maya took Aspen off of her shoulder and set her on the ground so she could run up the tree. Maya then returned her attention to Draco, "Umm…w-why aren't they doing anything?"

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, holding a small, circular object in his hands.

"Your friends, they aren't…doing or saying anything about me being here?" Maya whispered to him. "Aren't they bothered by me being around?"

"Yes, but they're not thick enough to say anything about it," Draco shrugged, placing the trinket he was holding into her palm.

Maya looked down at the item and scowled. It was a badge, which was animated by someone, and it read 'Potter Stinks' before changing to read 'Support Cedric Diggory'. She rolled her eyes and shoved the badge back into his hands, putting on a disappointed look, "Really, Draco? Don't you think that's a bit childish of you? He didn't ask to have his name put in the Goblet, you know."

She walked over to the tree and started to climb up, taking a seat on a branch next to Aspen. Draco followed her, his expression the same one he used whenever she had said something that he wanted her to feel bad about. He climbed up the tree and sat in the crook of it, looking up at where she was on a higher branch, "I thought that they'd cheer you up."

"No, not really," Maya said, pulling her books into her lap. "I mean, you kind of forgot about someone. Even a 'Kensington Stinks' would be nice, then I'd be famous." Seeing Draco's confused face, she added, "I'm kidding."

"You have a strange sense of humor, Kensington," Draco shook his head, chuckling.

"I know, but you laughed, so I know it's a good one." She lifted a book off of her lap to see which one it was and then noticed that Draco didn't have any of his books, "Er, Draco? I thought we were going to study together, so…where are your books?"

"Oh!" Draco's pale face flushed a light, rosy pink color and he clenched his jaw. "I, eh…may have forgotten? I left in a rush, today…" he admitted.

"Well, in that case," Maya balanced her schoolbooks very carefully between two, close together branches, then pulled the book she had been reading for leisure time off of the stack and opened it up, "I will be reading this. There isn't a single quiet place I could go. Trying to walk through that school and _not_ get stopped by people who look like they want to beat the pulp out of you is like trying to swim through fire and not get burned!"

"That made almost no sense." Draco shook his head as Maya opened the book and began to read to herself.

No one would dare come near and bother Draco and his gang just to get to Maya, so she figured she was safe as long as she stayed near them, even if she didn't _want_ to hang out with a bunch of Slytherins. She was only half paying attention as Draco began to talk to his friends, but he got her attention as soon as he said, "Watch this, Kensington…"

Harry Potter was walking across the courtyard, just within earshot. Draco shouted at him, "Why so tense, Potter?" then, without waiting for an answer he went on bitterly, smirking, "My father and I have a bet, you see. I don't think you're gonna last ten minutes in this tournament," Draco hopped down from the tree and took a few stepped forward, while Maya had tried to grab his robes to keep him from doing so. "He disagrees. _He_ thinks you won't last five!"

Laughter broke out among Draco and his gang. Potter, however, was far from amused. He marched forward, telling Draco, "I don't give a damn what your father thinks, Malfoy!" he shoved Draco, and he gave Potter an angry, half snarl half grunt as that happened. Potter added, "He's vile and cruel! And you're just pathetic!" and Potter started to walk away.

Maya slipped out of the tree as soon as she saw Draco reaching in his pocket for his wand, muttering something angrily. She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back, but he shoved her away. Maya groaned, "Draco! Stop! You're going to get in trouble! Just let him go, he isn't worth it!" Draco wasn't listening. He had his right arm outstretched, wand pointed at Potter.

Before Maya could say or do anything to stop Draco, a raspy voice shouted from nearby, "OH NO YOU DON'T, SONNY!"

Draco froze, and there was a flash of light. He yelped as the fire engulfed him, and Maya saw that, instead of Draco, there was now a rather confused looking white Ferret, sniffing the air anxiously. Maya held back the urge to chuckle, feeling torn between helping her now transfigured friend or laughing her head off at how he got what he deserved for being a prat.

"I'll teach you to curse someone behind their back!" Moody snapped, aiming his wand at Ferret-Draco, making Ferret-Draco levitate and twist around in the air, squeaking and chittering angrily as this happened. Professor Moody muttered bitterly as he made Ferret-Draco dance in the air. Several students had gathered around by now to watch this, laughing. Moody turned and winked at Potter and then returned to tormenting the ferret.

Professor McGonnagall came hurrying up to stand beside Moody, looking confused, "Professor Moody, what are you doing?"

" _Teaching_ …" was all Moody said, continuing to make Ferret-Draco dance.

"Is — Is that a student!?" McGonnagall exclaimed, looking from Moody to Ferret-Draco.

"Technically," Moody growled, "it's a ferret." He suddenly grabbed Crabbe's pants and opened them, flipping Ferret-Draco over and into Crabbe's pants. Maya couldn't hold back a strange sound that came across as a gasp and a laugh as she watched this unfold. Still, she was upset by Moody's actions, as they were out of line. Amusing, but out of line.

Maya leaned down on the ground, resting a hand onto Draco's back when he had finally gotten free of Crabbe's pants. She held him down as she had done whenever she didn't want Aspen to get away. She looked up to Professor McGonnagall, a pleading look in her eyes and she gave a little nod. McGonnagall pointed her wand at Ferret-Draco and there was a light similar to that of the one from Moody's wand. Draco was back to normal, sprawled on his stomach.

Draco jumped to his feet, Maya rising with him. His hair was disheveled and he looked around wildly. When his eyes landed on Moody, he jerked backwards. Maya made sure to get out of his way as he began to back up, spitting, "My father will hear about this!"

"Is that a threat!? Huh!? Is that a threat!?" Moody shouted, limping towards Draco. Draco turned tail and bolted around the tree. Moody followed, but Draco kept running, not looking back. His friends and he ran away, with Moody shouting after them, "I COULD TELL YOU STORIES ABOUT YOUR FATHER THAT WOULD CURL EVEN YOUR GREASY HAIR, BOY! THIS DOESN'T END HERE!"

Maya slipped away from the group that had gathered as soon as Professor McGonnagall began to yell at Moody for using transfiguration as a punishment. She gathered her books and Aspen and headed off to find Draco, figuring that he'd be traumatized or something. It took her a little while, but she did eventually find Draco sitting outside, close to the Herbology greenhouses and shaking like a leaf.

"Draco? Are you all right?" she asked him, setting her books down on the ground. Maya reached out her hand and grabbed his arm. He relaxed at her touch, and didn't complain when she grabbed his hand reassuringly and then wrapped her other arm around him in a comforting hug. Draco actually seemed to enjoy this, but she didn't want it to seem awkward so she filled the silence, "There, is that better? I heard that hugs will fix almost anything. _Almost_ , anything."

"That professor gives me the creeps!" Draco shuddered, resting his head on the top of hers. As he did this, Maya felt a weird feeling in her stomach, and her cheeks felt like they were heating up. She wasn't sure if this strange feeling meant what she thought it did, but for now she chose to ignore it and focus on helping Draco through his newest crisis.

"I'm pretty sure he gives just about everyone in the school the creeps," Maya pointed out, pulling away from the embrace. Draco looked just as embarrassed as she felt. "Personally, I think you'd have to be nuts to not be scared of Moody. Especially taking into consideration the first class he 'taught' us."

"If it hadn't been for Saint Potter then it wouldn't have happened in the first place," Draco snarled. Maya rolled her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, listening to him go on a rant about Potter. He stopped as soon as Aspen chose to leap onto his lap and use him as a bridge to Maya. He tensed up, looking away, "Will you get that bloody _rat_ away from me, Kensington?"

"Why? Scared she's going to transfigure you back into a ferret?" Maya joked, picking Aspen up and setting her on her other side so she wouldn't bother Draco. She saw him still avoiding to look in that direction and told him, "She's not even a ferret, Draco. I mean, related to them, yes, but actually a ferret? No. For one, she's brown and all the others in her species are brown, as opposed to ferrets. Second, she's cuter and doesn't smell as bad. In fact, I'm smelling pine nettles. And there's also —"

"Okay, Kensington, I get the idea," Draco told her. "I need comfort right now, not a lesson about mustelids. Because I know you probably have enough to tell me that would make being around Granger seem fun, I'm going to ask: where'd you even learn this much about them in the first place?"

"Uhm…some science lesson for my Muggle school, I think," Maya shrugged, stroking Aspen. "Hmmm…maybe now that you know what's like in her…er…paws, well, maybe you won't be such a jerk to her, right?"

"Don't push it, Kensington," Draco said, but he did cautiously reach out to pet Aspen.

There was some more friendly conversation between the two, and Maya picked up a book to read it to Draco, so they could actually get some studying in, and Maya left to dinner feeling much happier than she had in several days. And she figured that Draco had something to do with that.

Lately, whenever she spent a lot of time with him, she found herself feeling happy, wanting to smile for no reason. She also found herself embarrassed and her stomach twisting and flipping and fluttering. If this was a crush, like she suspected it was, then how long would it last? Would it go away? Maya tried to force this out of her mind, but she couldn't help watching the Slytherin table to see Draco.

* * *

Maya leaned back in a chair by the window in the Ravenclaw common room. Usually, Lewis would sit in the chair next to hers, but all she had for company now was a stack of books with Aspen perched on top of it, tilting her head every time Maya would groan with frustration and slam the book on a separate stack on the chair. Maya had found every book on dragons that she could think of, and still found no idea on how to defeat this.

"Here, this might help you," said a familiar voice. Maya opened her eyes to find Lewis standing over the chair, presenting her with a thick book. "I found a list of spells that work against dragons. You might want to check it out."

"H-How did you — why did you —?" Maya took the book slowly, not knowing what to say.

"Carol and I are still your friends, Maya. Carol just doesn't know what to do or say all the time. You should try and talk to her sometime," Lewis said with a shrug. "Goodnight, Kensington. See you tomorrow."


	22. Chapter 22

Author's Note:

So, the incantation for the Conjunctivitis Curse is unknown, so I came up with my own incantation for it: Oculi Tumorem. It's Latin for Eyes Bulge, which fits in with the curse's effect of making the victim's eyes swell shut. The incantation is by no means canon, but Rowling didn't provide us with that information…*sigh*

Second, I'd like to apologize to Haelyeon, as I feel really really bad for not updating when I said I would! Life's been keeping me super busy and I'm so sorry you had to wait so long! I should go back to regular updates every 5-7 days after this one, I promise!

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two (Year Four): The First Task

"Maya, you really need to calm down," Lewis said quietly as he took a seat on the floor across from Maya. He had come to visit her in the Champions' tent before the first task. He had said that Carol would be there shortly, but she wasn't so sure about that. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Oh, I will, will I?" Maya said anxiously, biting on her fingernails. "How would you know? Been fighting any dragons that Carol and I don't know about?" She saw his mildly hurt expression and sighed. Maya put a hand on his shoulder apologetically, "I'm sorry, Lewis, I wasn't trying to be hurtful. I've just been pretty upset about this whole tournament thing. I never wanted to be a part of it in the first place. If I hadn't, then I'd still have all my friends."

"It's not like it's your fault," Lewis pointed out. "Parkinson is the one who put your name in the Goblet. You know that as well as anyone else does."

"Wish Carol would think about that," Maya said sadly, getting up from the floor and pacing around, continuing to bite her nails. Carol had always been the understanding one. Sassy, but still understanding. It hurt when even a _Hufflepuff_ — specifically one whom you thought was your friend — wouldn't even speak with you. Maya shook her head, "I don't have time to think about that right now. I'm sure that they'll be here any second to get us out there. Go over what you wrote down one more time, please?"

"I think that Krum is using this spell as well, but there isn't a rule against using the same spell as another person." Lewis said, lowering his voice and pulling a scrap of parchment out of his breast-pocket. He unfolded it, cleared his throat, and began to read off what he had written, "'The Conjunctivitis Curse. Works on dragons. Causes the target's eyes to swell shut.'"

"So, it basically causes the Pink Eye infection?" Maya asked, remembering reading about something like that during her Muggle health class.

"Essentially, yes," Lewis said. "Here's the incantation…it's, uh… _Oculi Tumorem_."

" _Oculi Tumorem_? All right, I'll be sure to remember that," Maya said, repeating the words over and over again. "Anything else I should know?"

"Yes —" Lewis started, but someone cut him off.

"Yes, there is: be careful and don't die!" it was Carol, looking at her surroundings carefully. Maya stood up and wrapped her arms around her slightly tearful best friend. Carol buried her head in Maya's shoulder, "I'm sorry…I wasn't going to talk to you originally, I-I came here to wish Cedric good luck, but I thought about what you're going up against and…I'm sorry I was rude to you before, Maya. I know you didn't want to be in this dumb thing."

"It's okay, Carol. I forgive you." Maya said, pulling away from the friendly embrace. "You guys should probably get going now. I think that they'll be showing us what dragon we're fighting today."

"Okay," Lewis said with a nod, hugging Maya goodbye.

"Good luck, Maya," Carol told her with a soft, encouraging smile as she followed Lewis out of the tent.

Maya wished Draco had come to wish her good luck, but it seemed he had decided to stay with his friends rather than worry about her. She didn't exactly feel bad about this, after all, the world didn't revolve around her. Still, she was going up against a dragon. Surely Draco cared a little bit about that? Probably not.

She happened to look up when she heard a click and saw a flash and saw the journalist, Rita Skeeter. She had met the woman before, however briefly, and discovered how awful a person Rita really was. Potter had said that Skeeter was spreading false rumors, but Maya didn't read The Daily Prophet and had no idea what those rumors were, though Potter mentioned something about her saying he was 12 instead of 14.

Granger and Potter were glaring crossly at the reporter as she commented something about 'young love'. Krum got up and explained that the tent was reserved for champions and their friends. Skeeter wasn't too pleased by this, and glanced between her quill and paper (which were enchanted to do the actual, physical writing for her) and then at Krum. Dumbledore stepped into the tent with several other people before she could respond.

Maya was going to try and listen to what he was saying as the others gathered round, but as she took a step forward, she felt something hit the back of her neck. She winced and looked behind her and then on the ground where a small, smooth pebble was lying. Picking it up, she looked around for where it had come from. Movement from the other end of the tent caught her eye and she walked over to the tent, opening the flap just a few inches, "W-Who's there?" she demanded.

"Relax, Kensington, it's me," whispered a familiar voice, and Draco appeared right in front of the tent flap, smirking. "I came to wish you luck, but I had to come when no one would be looking.

"You couldn't have chosen better timing," she returned the smirk and glanced back at the crowd that Dumbledore had gathered around him in the tent. Maya bit her lip as she turned back to Draco. He looked concerned.

Draco lifted his hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. Maya relaxed, surprised by how warm his touch was. She couldn't miss the concern he was trying to hide as he whispered, "Kensington, are you doing all right?"

"Of course I am," Maya replied sarcastically. "I mean, all I have to do is defeat a dragon, right? Nothing to it!" She sighed, making sure that no one was listening, "If I'm being honest, Draco…I-I'm scared. Gosh…y'know, I could kill that Pansy Parkinson!"

"I feel the same way, but you can only get to her if I don't do it first," Draco told her. "I should probably get going now. Good luck…" he gave her a quick hug and pecked her on the cheek, which was unexpected and made her blush. "I'll see you out there, Kensington," Draco quickly slipped away from her and the tent, leaving her rubbing her rose-colored cheek.

"Er, Miss Kensington?" came Dumbledore's voice, snapping her from her thoughts.

"Y-Yes sir?" Maya asked, whirling around.

"Would you please place your hand in this bag and pull out which dragon you'll be going up against?" Dumbledore beckoned her forward.

Slowly, she walked forward, aware of everyone watching her. She wanted to scream at them all to mind their own business so that she wouldn't feel so terrified. Maya stuck her hand into the bag and moved her fingers around a bit. She felt something cold, like she was holding a lizard and then felt a sharp pain in her hand and yanked her hand out, finding a small dragon clinging to her finger.

"Hmm, the Peruvian Vipertooth and the number five position…" one of the men said thoughtfully. "I'd be sure to stay on your feet out there. These things are wily little rascals!"

"Oh, I'm sure we'll have a real blast together…" Maya rolled her eyes, prying the dragon off of her finger and placing it in her palm, squeezing slightly so it couldn't squirm and bite her, but not squeezing it hard enough to hurt it. She knew it was just a model that was enchanted so it moved and did all the things the real dragon would do, but she still felt bad about how it had to be cooped up in that bag with other model dragons, being jostled around inside of it.

She held onto the little dragon as she sat down in the corner of the tent, stroking the dragon as Cedric Diggory went out first. Potter tapped her on the shoulder and sat down on the floor next to her, "Are you all right?" she said nothing, not really in the mood to talk. "Scared, aren't you?" he offered her. Maya shrugged. "Me too. I kind of wish I was in the crowd right now. I never wanted to be in this tournament you know."

 _Neither did I, and yet here we are…_ Maya set the model dragon down and watched it skitter across the floor.

"But, now that we are in," Potter said, adjusting so he was a bit more comfortable on the floor, "are you worried about winning at all?" Maya shook her head, wishing Potter would go bother someone else. "I suppose it'd be nice if one of us did win. I bet Cedric or Krum have a better chance of it, though."

"No offense, Potter, but let me make what I'm saying clear," Maya was growing annoyed by him talking to her, kind of wishing he'd go watch Cedric or something. "I am only competing in this because I have absolutely no choice, and I really don't care who wins or not and I don't care to discuss who has the better chances with you because even thinking about this tournament and any sort of 'chances' it's competitors have makes me want to _throw up_." Potter looked taken aback, and Maya quickly went on while she was still annoyed and before she started to stutter again, "Furthermore, just because neither of us wanted to be in this stupid thing, that does not mean that I'm going to engage in small talk with you or be friends with you. After all, you are partly responsible for one of my best friends getting turned into a ferret."

"That wasn't my fault!" Potter protested angrily. "Malfoy was asking for it! Besides, it was Moody who transfigured him."

"All you had to do was say 'I don't care' and walk away. Simple as that." Maya huffed. "But because of both of your tempers and because of your beloved guard dog, Moody, Draco is being really weird now and won't go anywhere near my pet, Aspen, because he's scared that by touching a 'ferret' then he'll turn into one again!"

"You have a ferret?" Potter tilted his head with the slightest movement, looking extremely confused. It

" _Pine Marten_ ," she corrected crossly, "but they _are related_ to ferrets, as both are in the Mustelidae family, but for the _last damn_ _time_ she is _not_ a ferret. Good Lord have mercy! How many times must I tell people this! I know I wasn't clear — I mean — that isn't the point, Potter!" Maya said, pinching the bridge of her nose and squeezing her eyes shut. In all honesty, she was surprised she had cussed. She never cussed, and that was something everyone knew. "The point is that you hate one of my best friends and he hates you, and I'm not going to act like that doesn't bother me by being nice to you. I'm sorry. All in all you're an okay guy, but…"

"…But you're too loyal to a slimy git like Malfoy?" Potter suggested for her, earning him a sharp glare. He kind of shrunk back as she reached for her dragon model to throw at him. "Why _are_ you friends with him anyways? Doesn't he hate Muggle-Borns, and…aren't you one?"

Maya had calmed down a tiny bit, but she wasn't sure why Potter had to ask the _exact same_ cliché questions as everyone else did whenever they asked about her and Draco's friendship. With a sigh she told him, "I'd be lying if I said that he didn't hate all Muggle-Borns, but when we first met he didn't know I was one. When he found out, well, I expected him to leave, but he didn't. I offered my friendship when no one else would — when _you_ wouldn't — and I can look past faults and see the good side to people. Seems that no one else in this bloody school can."

She stood up and walked to the corner of the tent where she could see outside. Potter didn't follow or try to make any further conversation with her. Maya was pleased by this, but wished she hadn't been so harsh with him.

They had been talking so long that by now, Fleur was returning and Krum was stepping out to face his dragon. Just like Lewis had said, Krum used the Conjunctivitis Curse on the dragon, blinding it. The dragon stamped on some of it's real eggs, though, crushing them with a unsettling **_crrrruunch_ **that echoed off all of the rocks. Krum managed to retrieved his golden egg from the nest and return to the tent, unharmed, but he wore a frown on his face. It was likely that the egg crushing had not earned him any extra points.

Potter was next, and he went out in a far more hesitant manner than the rest had done. He was obviously very frightened, but to be honest, who wouldn't be frightened by this? After all, he was facing a dragon. Maya was sure that even the bravest of all Gryffindors would have to be under all sorts of potions or spells in order to not feel even the tiniest bit frightened by the mere idea of facing a dragon.

Maya tried to pay attention to the event, but she wasn't too enthralled, like much of the audience was. Potter was doing a lot of dodging away from the large dragon, having to duck behind rocks to avoid the fire that the dragon was spitting at him, as well as to get away from her massive jaws, which stretched out towards him and clamped shut on empty air as Potter got out of her range.

He raised his dark colored wand multiple times and pointed it towards the direction that Hogwarts castle was, shouting, "ACCIO _FIREBOLT_!". That was what caught Maya's attention. He was going to summon his broom and use it to get the egg, likely by flying around the dragon and dodging her that way. It seemed like a good idea, and as far as Maya knew, there were no rules prohibiting Potter from summoning his broom and using it. Maya suspected that even if there was a rule, then precious Potter wasn't going to get in trouble for breaking it. At least not if Dumbledore had any say about it. _Especially_ if Dumbledore had any say about it!

Maya lost interest after Potter failed to summon his broom, and turned her back on it. She then heard several frightened gasps from the crowd, followed by a loud metal snapping and wood breaking, and when Maya turned back to watch, both Potter, the egg, and the dragon were gone from sight.

She stood up and walked to the edge of the tent, where the other champions were gathered, peering outside to get a better view and to make sure she wasn't just seeing things, "I…I don't think that that's a good thing, is it?" They all looked down at her, one looking confused, another looking scared, and then one kind of annoyed. _Oops_.

Potter came back on his very unstable broom a few long minutes later, the dragon nowhere in sight and overall he looked quite well. Maya really wished he'd have come back later, because now she had to go out there and show off what she could do.

"Best of luck," Potter told her when he had returned to the tent, covered in dirt and clutching the now dusty Golden Egg.

"Thanks…" Maya murmured, stepping to the edge of the tent. She prayed, asking for protection and for success, and after she made the sign of the cross and muttered an 'Amen' under her breath, and took a hesitant step onto the rocks. Immediately the crowd let out one long _BOOOOO_ at her, and she winced, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys!" she snarled, though they likely couldn't hear her. She saw her friends in the crowd, cheering her on. Draco had just jabbed Goyle in the ribs for trying to throw something at her and she sighed and walked over a safe distance to where a skinny and short dragon was screeching and gnawing at the chain that was holding her in place.

Maya chuckled awkwardly and the dragon froze, snapping it's head up and looking at her curiously, "Hello there, er…pretty girl? Look, if it's all right with you, I'm just going to take that egg and —"

The dragon let out a long, piercing screech and raised towards Maya. She backed away from the dragon as it raced towards her, wings spread out and jaw wide open. She ducked and rolled out of the way just as the dragon's jaws slammed shut around where she would have been and the chain tightened and jerked the Vipertooth back.

Maya peeked out from behind the rock and saw the dragon stand back up and shake the dust off of herself with one mighty shiver. The Vipertooth turned her steely and furious gaze towards where Maya was hiding and again screeched, but this time didn't charge towards her. Maya gulped and quickly took note of any injuries. Her blue and black competitor's uniform (which looked similar in style to Cedric and Harry's robes, except theirs' were yellow and black and red and black respectively) was torn around her knee and their was a small trickle of blood that was glistening. Aside from the scraped knee, disheveled hair, and the dirt that smeared across her forehead, she was fine.

"All right, Vipertooth, you asked for it," Maya said and emerged from behind the rock, drawing her wand and aiming it at the dragon. The Vipertooth wasted no time in racing towards her, as Maya was just in range for it to spit fire at her or to bite her. As soon as her massive opponent came within her wand's range, Maya bellowed out, " _OCULI TUMOREM_!" and a gut-wrenching, pained screeching came from the Vipertooth as it's eyes suddenly began to swell over and turn red. There was even a bit of crusting and a small red trickle from one of its eyes as it began to claw at it's eyes viciously.

"No, no, no, _no_! You weren't supposed to do _that_! Now I feel bad!" Maya winced and picked up a large stone as the dragon began to back towards the nest, starting to recover from the burning in her eyes and regain her remaining senses. With all her might Maya chucked the stone at the wall, towards the crowd and the Vipertooth charged towards the sound and Maya dove for the nest, scooping up the Golden Egg and sprinting back to the tent as fast as she could, not looking back until she knew she was safe.

What surprised her the most was the applause that followed when she did finally reach the tent and dare to glance back. Cedric and Fleur helped her off her knees when she collapsed to the ground, choking back sobs of mostly joy and fighting back the urge to vomit. She had done it! She really had done it! She was alive and possibly had blinded a dragon in self defense, but she had made it out alive at least, and in one piece.

After the scores had been read off (Maya had managed a place above Victor, but behind the other three) Maya limped back to Hogwarts, her knee still bleeding slightly. She reached the deserted courtyard and just collapsed in the grass, not bothering to look up as three pairs of footsteps approached her. She felt something warm and fuzzy hop onto her shoulder and then into her hands and saw Aspen. Maya grabbed the marten and cradled her, feeling tears of joy stream down her face.

"You doing all right, Kensington?" said Draco soothingly, sitting in front of her. Carol and Lewis sat on either side of her with their hands on her shoulder. Draco scratched Aspen under the chin with one finger and then placed his hand on Maya's. "I'm proud of you, you know that, right? We all are proud of you, actually," he told her. "You handled yourself brilliantly out there. And that curse!"

"Yeah," Lewis said. "You were great, Maya." Carol murmured her own agreement.

"Thank goodness Pine wands are so adaptable to new types of magic, or I'd probably have been in a pretty sticky situation, wouldn't you think?" Maya asked with a chuckle. She clutched the egg in her hand, deciding that she'd deal with it later. "Well, enough of this being all quiet and such. Let's go and celebrate, shall we?"

"No arguments from me!" Carol chirped, standing up with Maya. Lewis got up as well, then Draco, and the four headed to the Great Hall for supper time.


	23. Chapter 23

Author's Note:

It's one of the chapters that I've had imagined inside my head from the beginning of the story. I was originally going to post it on the 27th, which was this story's four month anniversary (Good Lord, how time flies!), but the 4th of May is close enough…right?

Anyways, I may have lost my mind a couple of times trying to make this chapter seem as awesome as I pictured it. I hope everyone enjoys! :)

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three (Year Four): The Yule Ball

"So, have you tried figuring out the egg yet?" Lewis asked at breakfast one crisp December morning. Carol, although she was a Hufflepuff, had also sat down at the same breakfast table as her friends. It wasn't as if anybody tried to stop them. Half the people didn't even look twice at Carol as she practically inhaled her oatmeal. Lewis rolled his eyes at her, "Carol, you should probably slow down. The food isn't going anywhere."

"One would _hope_ at least that it isn't going anywhere," Maya joked, pulling a couple of pieces of bacon and putting them on her plate. Her friends snorted, but contained any other amused noises they might be tempted to make. "And in answer to your question, Lewis, I haven't exactly had much time. To be honest, I'd completely forgotten about it. I wonder what would happen if a champion forgot to try and figure out the next task in order to prepare properly?"

"They'd probably be forced to forfeit or something like that?" Carol suggested as she began wiping a drip of oatmeal off of her cheeks.

"Or they'd die because they weren't ready and made you compete anyways?" offered Lewis kind of scoldingly, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. He set the glass down with a thud, "Look, Maya. I know you never wanted this, we don't need to keep being reminded, but now that you're in it, well, you might as well make the best of it. I'm pretty sure that there are worst things that you could be forced to do."

Maya bit her lower lip. She knew that Lewis was right, of course, but if there was a way out then she would take it. _No, people may not like you and you may not make much of a difference, but you need to_ try _at least_ , she reminded herself. "Okay, okay, I'll think it through. But I'm telling you, the egg itself is way too simple."

"You mean you didn't even open it? Why?" Carol asked her, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"Well…Lewis told me too, but I didn't want to." Maya admitted. "It seemed way too easy for me to not be suspicious. 'Oh, yes, you just get the pretty gold egg and open it up and voilà! You have your clue now, yay!', pfft! This is Hogwarts, of all places, in a world of magic. Something I've learned in the past four years is that nothing in this place is ever as it seems and it sure isn't _that_ easy," she took a bite of oatmeal and swallowed. "I think maybe…" she lowered her voice and leaned closer to her friends, "…an element of some sort is required, you know, like fire or air."

"Why do you think _that_?" questioned Lewis, almost raising his voice out of surprise, but he kept an even whisper.

" _Think_ Lewis! You're Muggle-born and — well — a fifteen-year-old _boy_ , so you're more familiar with this. I'd even expect _Carol_ to know, considering she's Half-blood and was raised in a Muggle neighborhood around all sorts of Muggle devices and whatnot!" Maya whispered. "You know in old black-and-white spy movies and TV shows how they would have messages that they wrote with invisible ink so that nobody would be able to read an important, secret message?"

"Well…yeaaah, but what does that have to do with anything?" Lewis sounded impatient when he said that. Quite honestly, Maya had lost her own patience, but she had had more time (a week and a half, she believed) to think this theory over logically and work out the kinks herself, so she managed to regain most of her patience with their slowness.

"It has to do with the egg. The recipient of the message always was able to reveal the secret message somehow, be it with fire or even lemon juice if I remember correctly. I think that the golden egg is like one of these secret messages, and it'll take an element or something to reveal the message properly." Maya explained to them. "I need to test it out, of course. I've already decided that Earth is not a possibility, but I need to test out Air, Fire, and Water before I can completely rule it out."

"Wow," Carol looked genuinely impressed. "Even I couldn't have thought of that, and growing up I was a huge fan of spy movies, y'know? I _reeeeaally_ liked James Bond…that accent and those eyes..."

"Back on topic, Carol," Lewis rolled his eyes, snapping his fingers in front of her face. He looked back to Maya, "I'm pretty sure that it'll be windy tonight and sometime next week, so maybe if you go to the Astronomy tower when the wind really starts blowing, then you'll see if the clue will be revealed by air? And then you can test fire tonight in the common room after everyone goes to bed?"

"That is, if air doesn't work," Maya reminded him. "Now, water is going to be pretty difficult to test in this weather, but I'm sure there's something we can do."

"That is, if fire doesn't work," Carol teased. Maya playfully tossed a napkin at her and the three started laughing hysterically just as the tower-bell chimed to let the students know that it was time for their first class of the day.

"Come on, guys, we can pick this up later," Lewis smirked, standing up and grabbing his books.

The three went their separate ways for most of that day.

* * *

"A ball!?" Lewis exclaimed in disbelief after Charms class later in the afternoon. "Like, an actual ball with dancing? Not like a football or a baseball. AAARGH! This is awful!" That was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to Lewis' complaining and hatred for dancing and all things related to it.

Maya had been forced to listen to one of her best friends' complaining ever since they had gotten up to the Common Room. All through dinner she heard why dancing was an awful idea and on the way up to Ravenclaw Tower she heard why holding a ball in a school full of (mostly) immature teenagers was a bad idea and now in the Common Room while she was trying to do her homework she was hearing about why someone shouldn't want to go to a ball in the first place.

"Well, then," she said as she closed her books and stood up. "This has been an _extremely_ captivating debate, my friend, but I am exhausted and must rest up for tomorrow's 'dance lessons' as everyone decided to call it. So, _goodnight_!"

"Wait, Maya, you can't go to bed now!" Lewis said, lowering his voice. Maya turned back to him, raising an eyebrow. "We said that we'd test your theories with the egg tonight, remember?

"Oh, shoot…hehe, I — uh — I almost forgot what with all the homework we had to do and your rambling. I'll be right back, okay?" Maya raced up to her dormitory and into the room where she slept. It took her a few minutes to stumble through the darkness in her room without waking her grouchy roommates, but eventually she did successfully locate the Golden Egg and brought it back down to the Common Room. They were the only ones there, as Lewis had been going on for hours at this point and everyone with any common sense had gone to bed long before now. "Here it is."

"The fire's still going pretty strong," Lewis pointed out and got up to stand beside her as she headed for the fireplace.

He crouched down beside her and helped her open the egg up after she had placed it on top of the burning woods. Both winced as all that came out of the egg was a high-pitched screeching sound. Maya hurried to close it as Aspen arched her back and bared her teeth. She nearly burnt her hand trying to get it out of the fire. She placed her burned finger, which had blistered slightly, just under her upper lip and sucked in a deep breath, shaking her hand. Slightly annoyed, she pointed out the obvious, "Fire isn't the answer."

Lewis nodded, looking around nervously, "Clearly."

* * *

The school was abuzz with activity as the Yule Ball got closer and closer. Most of the boys would either confidently stride up to their crushes and ask them out to the ball, while others would blush and ask in a more shy and calm approach to the topic. Then there were those that just randomly blurted it out. The rejections were kind of upsetting to see as well, especially for the last two ways girls were asked.

Carol had been trying to work up the courage to ask Lewis to the ball, but even after the hours of prompting she received from Maya, she still refused to ask Lewis. When Maya asked why, Carol said that she had been asked by a Durmstrang boy and didn't want to seem rude by dumping him, saying that she'd go with him instead.

Maya was partly annoyed by this, but figured that she'd now be able to focus on her own plans for a date to the ball.

One part of Maya had been hoping that Draco would ask _her_ , but dearest Pansy Parkinson had been gloating all the way down the corridors about how she had been asked to the magnificent _Yule Ball_ (her words, not Maya's) by Draco Malfoy. She seemed to be sizing herself up with Maya whenever they encountered each other, which Maya had desperately been trying to avoid the entire week.

During study sessions in the library, Draco would apologize for any of Pansy's behavior that day. Maya would just wave it off with a half-smile and say that it was all forgotten, which was a lie. Draco knew it was as well, but held back from saying anything, probably out of concern that he would set her off and she'd sick Aspen on him.

One morning Lewis had asked her as his date, only because Professor Flitwick had told him he'd better find a date. Apparently — and much to his dismay — the head of Ravenclaw House thought that Lewis was a talented dancer for someone with little to no experience, and that he'd fit right in at the ball. So it wasn't as if Maya was too flattered at the idea of going with one of her best friends as his 'get the teacher to bugger off' date, but it was the only other choice she had once she came to terms with the fact that Draco wasn't going to dump Parkinson for her instead.

Maya had wrote to her mother asking for a dress for the ball, giving her a list of things she would be okay with wearing in public, and just as she had requested (and exactly on Christmas Eve) a dress had arrived for Maya to wear.

* * *

"Looks like your girlfriend didn't show up, did she Malfoy?"

Draco's eyes snapped away from the door for the first time since he'd arrived at the ball. They narrowed on Blaise, who had gone with Daphne Greengrass as his date. "What ever do you mean, Blaise? Pansy's right over there," he gestured to where Pansy was striking up a conversation with Daphne a few feet away. The ball hadn't started yet, but rest assured that the young girls would waste no time getting back to their dates before the dancing actually started.

"I'm talking about that Mudblood, Kensington. Honestly, Malfoy, we always have to explain that to you," Blaise shook his head, running a hand down his dress robes to get any wrinkles out. "What're you, dense or something?"

"Did you ever stop and think that she _isn't_ my girlfriend and that's why you always have to explain your wonderful little 'joke'?" Draco asked airily. He waved a hand to silence Blaise before he could continue speaking. Pansy and Daphne were coming back and Draco didn't want to deal with a bitter Pansy Parkinson. Not on Christmas. "Could you for once just drop the subject and leave me alone?"

Blaise shrugged and gave a slow nod, extending his arm for Daphne to take. The two girls were giggling about something, but forced straight faces as they reached the boys.

Draco watched as the champions headed into the beautifully decorated Great Hall. He had expected that Kensington would be among them, but she wasn't. Perhaps it was because she had been trying to keep a low profile in this whole tournament, not that it was hard with Saint Potter stealing all of the attention from every single champion in the tournament, including the well known Viktor Krum.

After the champions started them off, everyone was free to join in with their dates and start dancing. Reluctantly, Draco took Pansy's waste in his right hand and her right hand in his left. Pansy kept trying to be the lead at the same time as Draco, which caused several mistakes in their dance. Why can't she just relax and let me lead?

This went on for several numbers before a short break and then the band 'Weird Sisters' began playing and most everybody abandoned their traditional dancing to bounce up and down and scream.

It was far too undignified in Draco's opinion, and he made some excuse to slip away from Pansy, with the excuse that he was going to get some punch for the two of them. When he had returned, Pansy had seemed to have forgotten him and was 'dancing' with a young Durmstrang student. Draco couldn't exactly say that he was disappointed by this. Pansy wasn't a great dancer, anyways. His only problem now was that he had two glasses of punch and no one to share with.

He backed away from where the crowd was gathered and surveyed the room for a place to sit. What he found instead surprised him.

It was Kensington, leaning against the wall a safe distance away from the crowd. She was wearing a long and modest navy blue dress, made of a kind of frilly silk material, with her brown hair looking shiny and pulled up in some sort of braided bun sort of style. He wasn't a hairdresser, so it's not like he would know the technical term for it. She looked bored, but she was moving her mouth as if in a conversation with someone. At first he was confused, but a fuzzy head popped up over her shoulder and he recognized her pet, Aspen.

Draco cautiously looked around, making sure that no one was watching him, and he crossed the room to her. "What's the matter, Kensington, did you forget a date?" she jumped as he said that, only a couple of steps away from her. When she realized who it was who had spoken to her, she smirked and shook her head. "I'm not exactly sure a marten thing counts as a date."

"Well, she's clearly a much better date than _you_ ," Kensington told him in a sort of superior way, much likely making a remark on Pansy's absence. "Where's Parkinson? Did you finally decide to start locking your pets up at night or did she break of her leash?"

"Now, now, that's not the sweet little Ravenclaw that _I'm_ used to. I'm not sure if I like this bitter side of you, Kensington," Draco half-scolded half-teased, keeping a straight face. She mumbled an apology and Draco offered her the glass of punch originally intended for Pansy, which she accepted without much thought. "In all seriousness, where _is_ your date? I assume you brought someone?"

Kensington nodded towards the crowd, where her two best friends, Hampton and Manchester, were engaged in some sort of conversation, and obviously an amusing one at that, judging by Manchester's occasional laughter. "I brought Lewis, but I knew the two of them both wanted to go together, even if neither of them would admit it," she sighed, almost longingly. Draco swore he caught her glance at _him_ when she did. "I'm not upset that he left me to go to Carol, I didn't like him romantically in the first place. Besides, Aspen is nice enough company, even if she doesn't know how to dance. Not like I'm that good at it, either."

"I'm sure that isn't true," Draco said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Oh, you'd be surprised, Draco," Kensington's lips curled in a half-smile.

"All right, then," he took the glass of punch from her and placed it on a nearby table, watching her mouth drop in a sort of silent protest. "Prove it," Draco turned back to her, presenting his hand to her.

"Draco, what are you doing?" she chuckled, her cheeks turning a light pink for some reason.

"Asking you to dance," he bowed down, arm still outstretched. He smirked and looked up at her through the strands of hair that fell in front of his eyes. "Now, may I have this dance, m'lady? And I mean a dignified one, not whatever they're doing over there," he joked and waved his other hand at the crowd.

Kensington let out a small laugh and set Aspen down, taking his hand in hers, "Oh, I suppose so. Just try not to yelp if and when I step on your toes."

Draco straightened up and guided her in a proper waltz, which wasn't unfitting as the band finally played a slow, soothing and 'romantic' song. Unlike Pansy, she was perfectly content with letting him lead, only slipping up every now and then and stepping on his foot, just like she said she'd end up doing. He wasn't bothered, as he'd instruct her on what she did wrong and she'd correct herself quickly. For most of the dance, she kept an eye on his feet, as if she was trying to predict his next moves and step accordingly.

"Just look up here, all right?" he asked, and she brought her head up to look him in the eyes. He felt his stomach twist in knots as she focused on his face. Softly, he added, "Just relax and trust me."

When she had finally gotten used to it, he twirled her around a couple of times, causing her to grin, then abruptly pulled her back to him. Without thinking about it, he affectionately pressed his forehead against hers. To his surprise, she didn't pull away. She just...stayed there, like that, closing her eyes as he gently swayed to the music. Before it was over, she had laid her head on his shoulder and embraced him in a kind of dance-hug. Then the song ended and it was all over.

* * *

Maya pulled away from Draco awkwardly, blushing. She wasn't supposed to feel like this, with her stomach twisted in knots and this strange urge to...to kiss him. To want to kiss Draco Malfoy, of all people. She had spent the last two years telling herself that they were just friends and she was pretty sure that this wasn't something you typically felt for your friends.

When she pulled away, he didn't let go of her hand, and she didn't really want him to, either. His eyes met hers and they showed some kind of longing, as if he didn't want their dance to be over. But the Hall was starting to disperse and it was time to turn in for the evening. Not to mention that if anyone saw them together, then it would be the end of Draco's reputation and decent relationship with his parents.

"Well...goodnight, Draco," Maya hesitantly let go of his hand and picked up Aspen, setting her on her shoulder. Draco nodded, looking as embarrassed as Maya felt. Surely there was no way that these feelings were reciprocated. There just wasn't any way at all, but with the expression that he was pulling, Maya figured that it wasn't too unlikely. Was it?

"I'll see you tomorrow, won't I?" Draco asked. Maya turned back and nodded, not wanting to look at him for too long. If she did, then there was a good chance that she'd be impulsive and carry through with that kiss that she had imagined for just a single moment. "Goodnight, Kensington."

"Goodnight, Draco."


	24. Chapter 24

Author's Note:

Okay, Toony, this chapter is for you. I think you've been waiting long enough for this moment, right? Plus, it was originally your idea for it to go this way, but I added my own touch to the idea. For your loyalty, suggestions, and encouragement, I give you the chapter you've been patiently awaiting for so long.

Hope you and everyone else enjoy! ;)

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four (Year Four): The Second Task

Maya had risen early the morning after the Yule Ball to test out the theory of the element being air, since fire had failed. It was incredibly cold, but she wasn't exactly surprised considering that it was the middle of December at about 5 o' clock in the morning. Unfortunately for her, air — like fire — had failed and all she was left with was tangled hair and a ringing in her ears from the high pitched screeching that the egg let out.

She had nearly missed breakfast because she had to go back and fix her hair back, and when she did show up, most of the older students at the Ravenclaw table, including some from the Slytherin table and a few from the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff table, started to whisper when they saw her. She brushed any loose strands of hair behind her ear, straightened her clothes and her posture, her tie…everything looked fine and was where it was supposed to be, so she knew that she didn't look ridiculous (surely?), and yet they still whispered.

Taking a seat across from Lewis, she saw shocked and disgusted expressions from her two roommates, Samantha and Amelia, who were sitting a few seats away from her. She prepared her breakfast plate and clenched her free hand into a fist under the table. Without taking her eyes off the gossiping teenagers she asked Lewis, "What have I done to become such a popular topic this morning?"

"You mean, you didn't realize that people saw you last night?" Lewis asked, hiding his surprise.

Maya shook her head, nervously biting her lip. If they saw what she thought they did, then the rest of her school year would likely be miserable, for both her and one of her good friends. Or likely, soon to be ex-good friend. "Well, just what did they see last night? Did I miss some sort of ghastly thing that happened during my evening or something like that?"

"No, it's just that…I mean, I'm sure that no one really cares…it couldn't have really been you, but Aspen was there, y'know, and —" Lewis kept stumbling over his words, and Maya only stared at him with her features twisted to show how perplexed she was by the situation.

Lewis didn't have to answer, mainly because before he could, Carol rushed over from the Hufflepuff table and glanced around nervously, lowering her voice and hissing, "Is it true what everybody's saying? Did you really dance with a foul git like Malfoy? Are you okay? Did he slip a potion in your drink or something?"

"What!?" Maya scoffed, her jaw dropping in surprise. Her eyes flicked from Lewis to Carol, back and forth and back and forth between the two before she spoke again. "Yes I did dance with him, but it was entirely of my own accord. He didn't force me or slip something in my drink, and I'm perfectly fine. Nothing happened between us! We were just friends who's dates ended up with someone else by the time the evening was out," out of the corner of her eye she caught Lewis' cheeks turning a light rose color and added in a snappy tone, "And no, I'm not upset about it! You two are perfect for each other, and in spite of how angry I sound, I really do mean that."

"We were just worried about you," Carol said, appalled. "Malfoy can't be trusted. Their entire bloodline is full of liars. The Malfoy name practically _breeds_ , invites, even, dishonest and evil wizards. We just don't want you getting yourself hurt somehow, least of all by him."

"He's my friend, same as you guys. Dancing together doesn't automatically set our future as us being together. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly prime choice for a girlfriend for him, even if either of us did harbor romantic feelings for one another, which I highly doubt, I mean…" she trailed off awkwardly, and Carol placed a hand comfortingly over Maya's, forcing an understanding smile. "Look," Maya pulled her hand back, wanting more than anything to change the subject, "we have to figure out how we're going to test out water, you know, for the egg and the tournament…I've got a few ideas, at least how to do it in this weather…"

* * *

"Getting cozy with a Mudblood now, are you?" Blaise, in all his 'superiority' had overheard that several people saw Draco hanging out with Kensington at the ball the previous night and decided to rub it in his face, and it was annoying Draco to no end. It only made matters worse that Pansy knew (and was ignoring Draco) after Blaise had spread the rumor around like butter.

"Who I associate with is really none of your business, now is it, Blaise? Or anybody's business, quite honestly," Draco said casually, sending swift glares to each of his friends. This seemed to silence the snickering coming from Crabbe and Goyle, and the sneer that Blaise was wearing changed to a disappointed frown. Had he been expecting — hoping, even — that Draco would get upset and start an argument or something along those lines? "I can dance with whoever I bloody well want to, thank you very much. I don't need a bunch of half-wits like you turning it into something that it isn't."

That would shut them up for sure. They were a bunch of brainless idiots who hang around him for the status that he had. Being in a pureblood family did have some decent benefits set up for you, and one of them was that you always had other people willing to do whatever you wanted them to do because you could 'get them places'. Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, even Pansy, were only in his 'friend circle' because he was a Malfoy. Quite honestly, his life got pretty lonely.

Now that Blaise and the others were distracted by a new topic, Draco figured that a glance over at the Ravenclaw table wouldn't hurt anything. It's not like there was a rule that you couldn't see what your friend from another House was doing. Not like it did any harm to anyone, least of all him.

As expected, he saw Kensington sitting in deep conversation with her two friends. How they got away with having Manchester at the Ravenclaw table was a mystery to him. Nevertheless, Draco occasionally found himself envious of the relationship that the three of them shared. Same with Potter and his two friends, though not so much when it came to them. Even if he wouldn't hang out with them if his life depended on it, it didn't mean he didn't want a friendship like that. People who hung out with him because they liked him, not because they wanted something from him.

Kensington was like that, but if he kept his feelings to himself then it would become difficult to be around her. At the same time, he feared that if he told her then she'd either reject him and things would be incredibly awkward between them, or she'd return his feelings and everyone (family included) would disown him.

Draco snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Kensington and her friends stand up and hurry out of the Great Hall. A few people at the Ravenclaw table eyed them curiously as they ran past, but most of them were used to seeing the three disappear to do who knows what in who knows where. He surprised himself when he abruptly stood up from the Slytherin table and started after them.

"Oy! Malfoy, where are you going?" Blaise all but yelled at him.

"I need some fresh air. I'm just going for a walk, no need to get your knickers in a twist," Draco said, barely turning back to look at him. He started at a brisk pace, calling over his shoulder, "I'll see you guys later today, all right?" And he quickly set out after the three of them, this time actually wanting to know where they were going. Maybe even join in, if they'd let him.

When he had slipped out of the Great Hall, it would seem that they had slowed down, talking in a low voice. He considered going back, but curiosity got the better of him and before he had the chance to back down and return to the Slytherin table with some weak excuse for coming back, he called out, "Kensington, wait up!" They stopped, turning around, Hampton and Manchester fixing him with slightly suspicious and possibly resentful glares as he half-jogged over to them.

Kensington gave him a half smiled. She looked pleased to see him, "Draco? What is it, is there something wrong?"

"Where are you lot heading off to now?" Draco asked, clearing his throat and straightening up. "You aren't getting into any trouble, are you?" his eyes flicked back and forth before landing once more on Kensington.

She waved her hand nonchalantly, "Us? Trouble? Of course not, what ever would make you think that?"

"Well, considering the fact that you were hurrying away during breakfast, while people are conveniently out of the halls and away from you guys, well it kind of implies that you're doing something that you don't want anyone to see," he said. Pointing to the golden egg that Kensington was tucking behind her robes, he added, "Just _where are_ you going with that thing?"

Manchester opened her mouth to protest, and Hampton looked as if he would join right in, but Kensington shot them both warning look that kept them from saying anything. Manchester shut her mouth promptly, and Hampton started to try and explain cooly, "I don't see how it's any of _your_ business, Malfoy, but —"

"Buuut, if you must know," Kensington cut him off, "we're going to test out a theory that we have with the Golden Egg, like how we get the clue. Every time we open it to try it out, it just screeches at us, but if this works…"

"Do you mind if I join you?" Draco asked when he was sure that she was done talking. "I mean — I'm sure that it's loads more interesting than sitting at breakfast and listening to people gossip about us."

Kensington nodded, "Trust me, it is. You're welcome to join us, but let me explain our theory so you aren't entirely in the dark."

* * *

"…And we've tried everything else, so it all comes down to this. If it doesn't work, then I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be completely unprepared for the second task." Maya finished explaining her theory to Draco, who had been listening intently. She and Hampton had had to explain the whole Muggle-spy-movies part to him in great detail, though, and she thought she almost lost him during that.

But still he listened, trying to make sense of the things she was saying to him. Was he genuinely interested in this, and did he actually want to help her figure it out?

Maya was actually happy that he had offered to tag along with them, but she could tell that Lewis and Carol were still a bit resentful to the idea of hanging around Draco, but both were two loyal to say anything. She swore that she saw Carol biting her tongue, though. Draco also seemed to notice, but like Maya's other friends he kept quiet.

"It seems…plausible, I suppose," Draco said slowly, examining the egg. He frowned slightly as he stared at his reflection in the shiny surface, then went to twist it open, but Maya's hand shot to his and she shook her head.

"I wouldn't do that…your ears most definitely won't thank you. They'll ring for hours!" she warned, and taking his hand away, he passed it back to her. Both exchanged a polite smile, but Maya was sure that her cheeks went red. Something about his smile always made her feel embarrassed, as if every time he smiled, she instinctively became more self conscious and awkward.

The four of them all headed down to the Black Lake, figuring that while it may be cold, that it would be easier than trying to fill up a sink in the bathroom, especially a bathroom where a very sensitive and nosy ghost was. When they finally reached the lake, Carol pulled out a towel that she had gotten from her dormitory on their way outside, and held it at the ready. Maya exchanged glances with her friends and crouched down on the shore, pulling up the sleeves on her robe.

She set it down on its' side, but still so that she could see it clearly and open it. The water sloshed over it, surprisingly warm for the temperature. She considered this a blessing and tried to ignore the delayed, icy feeling that made her fingertips tingle and briefly lose the feeling in them. _Ignore it, focus on solving this egg, okay?_ Maya reminded herself, biting her lower lip and glancing around once more. Her hands fumbled for the latch where the egg opened.

Finally, she felt and heard a faint, muffled click and the egg opened, glowing faintly, though Maya could barely recognize it. There was no screeching sound, like there had been with the fire and air, so she half-laughed and looked to see the hopeful and encouraging faces of her friends. Carefully, she inched forward, still squatting close to the ground. Her ankles were a bit wet by now, and the water was much colder than she originally thought.

Taking care not to slip and fall with a splash, she laid down belly first and would have been floating at the surface had she gone further out into the water, but she was really just close enough to completely submerge herself and the egg under the surface of the water. She closed the egg, and then held her breath and ducked her head under the water, reopening the egg. Maya knew she had vanished from the sights of her friends and hoped that the clue was short so that she didn't drown.

A soft, angelic voice sang out from the egg:

" _Come seek us where our voices sound,_

 _We cannot sing above the ground,_

 _And while you're searching, ponder this;_

 _We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_

 _An hour long you'll have to look,_

 _To recover what we took,_

 _But past an hour, the prospect's black_

 _Too late, it's gone, it won't come back…_ "

Maya closed the egg as the song faded and then twisted her body off of her stomach so that she could push herself up and to the surface. She gasped and sputtered when she got herself up out of the water. Maya rose to her feet, taking a wobbly and heavy step forward, the water sloshing against her now soaked robes and her lungs burning from holding her breath long enough to hear the clue. That was what it was, right?

"We did it, it — it was water! I — I think I got it! But...we'll need to do a bit of research before we can riddle it out properly," she said as Carol wrapped the towel around her. "Which means, we'll need to go to the library."

"Will Madam Pince even let us in there with you sopping wet like that?" Lewis asked, standing next to Draco with his arms crossed. Draco scowled and nodded grudgingly in agreement, which brought a brief and surprised glance from Lewis. He obviously was not expecting Draco to agree with him, and quite frankly, neither was Maya.

"Okay, how about this," Maya said, searching her mind for a solution. "Let me go and clean myself up and then I'll meet you guys at the library in say, fifteen to twenty minutes?"

"Sounds fine by me. I guess we'll see you there," Carol said, and Maya quickly bolted off towards where the baths were.

* * *

It took her less time then she had expected to bathe and get into her change of clothes. She decided to leave her robes in the laundry for the time being and let them dry out, instead changing into casual attire, like the rest of the school was wearing while the break went on. So Maya pulled a pair of jeans on, and a long sleeved, brown shirt with a navy blue sweater and her Ravenclaw scarf to help keep her warm. Wasn't the best of apparel, but it did what she wanted it to.

Maya's hair was still wet from the bath, but thankfully didn't smell like lake water and instead like the shampoo she used. It was much better now that she was cleaned up.

She entered the library, which was almost deserted, save for one or two people sitting at tables and reading. Maya quietly walked over to the front desk, where Madam Pince was sitting, reading a book of her own. Lowering her voice — which wasn't hard, since she didn't talk loud — she asked Madam Pince, "Excuse me, Madam Pince? I — I was wondering if you saw three of my friends come in here earlier? Um…two boys and a girl? A Ravenclaw, a H-Hufflepuff, and a Sl-Slytherin?"

"You mean the three kids that came in here a few minutes ago? The group with the Malfoy boy?" Madam Pince asked and Maya nodded slightly. She looked Maya up and down suspiciously, likely thinking that they were an odd sort of group. Either that, or she was wondering if Maya's hair was still dripping and if she'd get any water on the books. Or perhaps she was wondering all those things at once, but Maya would never be sure. She gestured with her head towards one of the rows of bookshelves, "They went over that way, towards the A through C shelves. But I think I saw one of them heading towards the S through U shelves."

"Thank you Madam Pince," Maya said softly. Madam Pince gave a curt nod and returned to her book as Maya hurried to find her friends. She decided to check first in the A-C shelves, though she had no idea why they would be there. Shouldn't they be searching about the Tri-Wizard tournament or something like that? She found them at last, only they were at one of the tables by one of the windows, pouring over a large stack of books. "There you guys are. What's all this?"

"Books on the Tri-Wizard tournament tasks, and a few books on the Black Lake," Carol chirped. "We figured that since water was the element used to reveal the clue, then the second task had to have something to do with water, so we checked it out and we're pretty sure that the second task will be underwater, specifically in the Black Lake."

"Only thing is, we need to figure out what the clue could be talking about. You remember what it was, don't you?" Lewis asked her. Draco, after Lewis asked the question, looked up from his book about the lake that he was reading and waited expectantly for her reply.

"It's kind of hard to forget…let me see…" she closed her eyes and tried to remember, "Uh, it went…'Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground. And while you're searching, ponder this; we've taken what you'll sorely miss. An hour long you'll have to look, to recover what we took. But past an hour the prospect's black. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back…'"

"Well, what the bloody hell is _that_ supposed to mean? A nursery rhyme of sorts?" Draco scoffed, all but slamming the book closed. Particles of dust flew from it. It obviously hadn't been read in a long time. Draco started a brief coughing fit, but a shrill 'SSHHH!' from Madam Pince all the way from the front desk had him wheezing in his breath awkwardly to avoid further angering the librarian. Maya narrowed her eyes and tapped her foot in annoyance. "Sorry…" he mumbled, letting out one final little cough, though he was still wheezing slightly.

"Hate to admit it, but Malfoy's got a point there. The clue is kind of confusing…vague, even..." Carol frowned, walking over to Draco and making a fist. She then hit Draco in the upper part of his back, and he stifled a yelp. His wheezing stopped and Carol said with a hint of anger, "You're _welcome_. Aren't you happy you stopped your wheezing because of that?" Draco nodded, scowling. He rubbed his throat slightly as Carol began to pace back and forth. "Hmm…it's got to have something to do with whatever lives in the Black Lake…which is a lot of different creatures. If only there was a guide to the lake or something..."

"Wait, actually I think I saw a book like that once!" Lewis said happily. "I found it when I was doing a report for a Care of Magical Creatures class, the year before Professor Kettleburn retired. He had us write about the creatures that lived in the Black Lake. Hang on…" Lewis brushed past them and disappeared for a few minutes, returning with a dark blueish-green book, with silver lettering. He passed it to Maya.

" _A Complete Guide to the Underwater Residents of the Black Lake_?" Maya read the title out loud and opened the book, flipping to a page towards the end where it said 'About the Author' on it. "It says here that the author of this book was one of the old Care of Magical Creatures professors. Hmm, that's pretty cool, actually. Nice catch, Lewis. All we need to figure out now is what the creatures the clue is talking about."

"Maybe it's…hang on, give it here," Draco reached for the book and Maya passed it over to him. He checked the table of contents and then quickly flipped through the pages, landing on the chapter he was looking for. "Aha! Here it is. This has gotta be it. Merpeople, well, Selkies to be more specific. Says right here that there's a colony living in the Black Lake, and as far as I know, no other underwater creatures can sing. Merpeople love music, too."

"Then that's got to be it!" Maya said eagerly, but then the realization dawned on her. "Well…that means I'll have to find some way to hold my breath underwater for an hour, right? For an hour…how am I supposed to do that? Ugh..."

* * *

The hardest part about preparing for the second task, was trying to find out how she could hold her breath for an hour. They all had been drawing a blank so far, and none of the older competitors seemed to want to share with them the information they needed. They had informed Cedric of how to get the clue, mostly because Carol wanted to help him out, and once he'd riddled it out for himself, he'd told Potter how to get it.

So now, everyone had figured it out and Maya still needed a way to hold her breath for an hour. The second task was in a few days and they all had come up with nothing. Until Cedric suggested the Bubble-Head Charm. At this point, Maya was desperate for any spell she could use that would help her. Cedric said he told her about it because he had heard of her difficulties from Carol about finding a spell that would help her out.

For the last few hours, she had been repeating the incantation in her mind. _Spiritus Underwater, Spiritus Underwater_ …"Oh, I hope this works," she ended up saying out loud as she stepped up onto the platform where the champions would be diving off of. The wetsuit she was wearing made her feel a bit uncomfortable, as it was as if the blue and black swimwear had become a part of her skin, probably because of how well it fit, but still.

She felt exposed by it, even though it covered her down to the middle of her thighs and fit snuggly around her neck. Her arms were bare past her elbows, though. She was wearing different suits then the guys were, but still warm and covering compared to Fleur's.

"You'll do fine, I'm sure," Draco's voice came suddenly from behind her, his breath hitting the back of her neck. She jumped, nearly slapping him out of surprise, but he dodged out of the way just in case she did try and take a swing at him. "Are you all ready, then?" he asked, placing a hand on her arm.

"Yes," Maya replied. His grip on her arm was really warm, and part of her didn't want him to let go. It was the middle of February after all, and here she was shivering. And then Draco let go of her arm. "I'm scared, though. What do I have to look for? What if I mess up? And where's Carol, I mean, shouldn't she be here for support? What about Lewis?"

"I can't answer for Manchester, but Hampton's already here, standing just over there. Says that if Manchester shows up before it's time to start, then he'll send her over." Draco explained. His talking drowned out what Dumbledore was announcing, though it wasn't as if Maya really was paying attention at all. "Just try your best. Didn't you mention once that you were a strong swimmer?"

"Well, I mean, yeah, but I've never had to deal with Grindylows or — or giant squid, or merpeople, or having only an hour to swim to someplace that could be…well, who knows how far out it is!" she began to breathe in such a way that sounded like panicky panting. "What if I fail the task and drown or something? What if I get lost under there?"

"Kensington, calm down!" Draco hissed. When that didn't work, he did something she'd never heard him do. He used her first name, and instead of sounding bitter and mocking, he made his voice soothing, in more ways than one, "Maya, look, you can't worry about the worst case scenario, or you're bound to fail. Just go out there and get it done. Just remember that your friends are here waiting for you, me included. And that…" he seemed to pause and think his words through carefully, "…and if it helps any, know that I…I love you."

"You — you what!?" Maya was surprised to hear those words come from Draco, but there was the sound of a cannon firing and Maya saw the other champions leaping into the water, and with a light shove from someone behind her, she had no choice but to do the same.

She hit the water, and found herself unprepared. Water went through her nose, and quickly she shouted through the water, pulling out her wand and aiming it at herself, " _Spiritus Underwater_!" She felt water being pushed away and something began to form around her head, from her ears across her nose and mouth. Then she could breathe clearly, and there was no water. This had to be it.

Maya began to swim towards where the others had, out straight ahead. She tried to swim as close to the surface as possible, due to the fact that she wanted to avoid getting caught by the Gryndilows. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Giant Squid quickly dart past and away from where she was heading. She knew she didn't have to worry about the squid, as it was normally very friendly towards the Hogwarts students.

It took her a while, but she finally saw what appeared to be the merpeople colony. They were all on alert, looking very threatening and ready to fight someone. Maya remembered something that Carol had said about how ugly and kind of scary the colony must look when she had first seen a picture of a selkie in a book the four of them found on merpeople. Maya really did have to agree. They were extremely frightening, not to mention ugly.

They all glared at her as she swam past them and found five people tethered down. It appeared that Potter already reached them. It didn't take long before Cedric swam by and grabbed his girlfriend, the Ravenclaw Cho Chang. Then a half—transfigured-shark Viktor Krum swished by and bit through the rope tethering Hermione Granger down and rescued her. Maya hadn't had any idea that Krum and Granger were a thing, but then again, she didn't know much about Potter and his friends' lives during the school year, or ever for that matter.

Maya swam down to get a sharp stone out of the lake bottom, and swam over to where Carol was. This explained where her friend had been this whole time. Maya first tried to cut the rope with the stone, but it was too dull. Pulling out her wand again, she aimed it at the bottom of the rope. It probably wasn't the best idea to use this spell, considering she had never tried it before, but it was the first thing that popped in her head, "Bombarda!" she shouted through the water, aiming for the massive rock that the rope was tied to.

The rock exploded into several large chunks that drifted away. A few of the nearby merpeople shrieked and quickly darted away from it. Maya ignored them and quickly hooked her arm around her best friend, quickly heading back in the direction she had come from.

Checking her watch to see how much time she had left, Maya sped up with her kicking, but the dead weight of Carol made it quite difficult. Finally, the long platform came into view, and she gripped tighter around her friend's arm and pushed herself up as hard as she could, both of them making it to the surface. There was some scattered applause, and Carol began to stir from the noise, finally waking, and she spat some water out as both girls gasped for fresh air. Maya was happy to be back above the water, and couldn't help but smile as a few people helped them up out of the water.

Maya looked around for Draco as she shivered and wrapped a towel around her for warmth and dryness. But he seemed to have joined his Slytherin friends and was nowhere near them.

Just as the hour was up, Potter surfaced with Weasley and with Fleur's younger sister. They awarded Potter second place because of his 'moral fiber'. Now that the second task was over, Maya really needed a break from this stupid tournament. Too many close calls, for sure.

* * *

"Draco! Draco wait up!" Kensington chased after him one afternoon after the Second Task. He had been avoiding her ever since he had blurted out that he loved her just a few seconds before the Second Task had started. He felt like an idiot, and he knew that he probably had sounded like one. He wondered if she was mad at him. Did she finish second to last because she had been thinking about what she said.

Regardless, Draco knew that he couldn't avoid her forever. He stopped, turning around to face her. She slowed to a light jog and then stopped in front of him, out of breath. "Did you need something, Kensington?" he tried to sound bitter in hopes that it would put her off. Unfortunately for him, it didn't. She was quite stubborn whenever she wanted to be, which tended to be an inconvenience for him. Far too persistent for her own good could also be used to describe her, especially when it came to him.

"Well, I haven't seen you in a while. I just…wanted to talk to you, I guess. Is that such a crime?" Kensington asked him. She bit her lower lip, and Draco felt himself getting nervous. He knew she probably wanted to confront him about his confession, if you could even call it that. He had tried not to think about it, but now that she was here, it was pretty much no use avoiding the topic. If they did, then it would just make things worse for everyone.

Draco knew he wasn't supposed to feel anything but hatred for her, but it was so hard. He tried to push away how he felt, but he thought that maybe if he gave her something reassuring to think about while she was down in the lake, then she might do better. That is, if the feelings were reciprocated, which Draco had no idea if they were or not, considering how guarded Kensington could be, especially if she was scared of something.

"You did good, during the Second Task, I mean," Draco said calmly. "I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous that Manchester ended up being your 'stolen treasure' and not me." He was half-joking. Part of him was jealous that the people organizing the tournament put Manchester in the lake instead of him, likely because they didn't want to risk infuriating Draco's parents, but still. Maybe the teachers suspected something, but who knows.

"Oh, you wanted to be tied underwater in a lake?" Kensington teased. Good, she still had a sense of humor when she was around him. She knew he was joking, which was a good sign in Draco's opinion.

"Well, not exactly, no, but it might have been an interesting trip," Draco shrugged. The two laughed for a moment or too, but it didn't take long for Kensington to go back to being serious.

"Draco…did you…did you mean what you said? About that you love me?" Kensington asked, fixing him with a pair of frightened and possibly hopeful eyes.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, feeling a strange knot in his throat, and his stomach seemed to twist around. Draco knew that if he denied it, then they'd both feel awful. He took a step towards her so that they were only a couple of inches away from each other. Kensington didn't try to back up from him when he carefully placed his hand on the back of her neck. Draco wasn't sure if he was going to do this right, but he'd seen his parents kiss like this once and saw a few sixth and seventh years do this in the common room before, though he'd wished he could forget those instances quite honestly.

Gently, he pressed his lips against hers in a kiss, and she responded by returning said kiss, although Draco hadn't been expecting her to. He'd been expecting her to pull away and slap him, but, did this mean that…that she…loved him back? He held the kiss as long as he could, and pulled away from her so he could breathe. Draco pressed his forehead against hers, both slightly out of breath, "Does that answer your question, Kensington?" he asked her softly.

"Very much so…" Kensington answered. She closed her eyes, "I…I love you too, Draco…"

Draco didn't quite know where to take this from here, but he kissed her once more, not as long this time, and asked, "Does this mean that we're…going to try and make this work out?"

"We can try, Draco," she whispered, hugging him. Kensington placed her head against his shoulder and he rested his head on the top of hers. "We just have to see where it goes from here…"


	25. Chapter 25

_Author's Note:_

I feel so, so bad for not updating sooner. Life really got in the way, along with writer's block and a brief lack of interest in anything Harry Potter. But I've rewatched the first film, listened to music, heck, I even got back to reading the series (halfway through GoF), and I'm ready to finish this chapter (and year four). I can't believe that it took me two months (almost three!) to write this. Yikes.

So, let me try and revive this story from it's brief resting period. I'll have the epilogue chapter for year four posted shortly, at least within a day or two.

Hope you all enjoy! And please leave a review to let me know what you think!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Five (Year Four): Graveyard Duel

Maya tugged at her sleeves nervously as she followed behind the other champions. She checked her pocket to make sure that her wand was there, and let herself relax for just a moment. A band played some strange fanfare, and it was muffled until she stepped out with the others and the sound of not only the music, but also the cheering, blocked out her own thoughts. Maya clenched her fists and took a deep breath, eyes scanning the crowd.

She could pick out Lewis and Carol among the faces of the other students and their visitors, shouting their encouragement and clapping. And she kept looking until she finally saw Draco. He seemed to be having a good time, surrounded by his Slytherin friends. It had been weeks since the two had kissed and started a relationship of sorts, but Maya had the feeling that the news hadn't spread. Otherwise, Draco's friends might be a little less likely to hang out around him. Draco noticed her standing with he others and gave an extra cheer, to which Maya smirked at, though it was unlikely that he saw it.

Her attention was brought away from Draco as Dumbledore stepped onto a wooden podium, pressing his wand to his neck. "Sonorous!" his voice boomed, and the crowd stopped clapping and took their seats, listening intently. Dumbledore began to speak, "Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Triwizard Cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position." The delivery was dramatic, but then again, this whole thing was equally as dramatic.

The Headmaster let what he said sink in before he went on, "Now, as Mr. Diggory —" Cedric's father grabbed his son's hand and swung it into the air proudly as half of the crowd cheered and wooped, "— and Mr. Potter —" this caused more cheering, only it came from the crowd of mostly Gryffindors " — tied for first position, they will be the first to enter the maze. Followed by Mr. Krum —" the Bulgarians erupted into deep shouts and cheers "— Miss Delacour —" quieter cheers from the Beauxbatons students, "— and Miss Kensington." Maya blushed as her friends, Draco, and a few Ravenclaws and some Gryffindors cheered their support. It wasn't much, but hey, at least she had some support in all of this.

"First person to touch the cup, will be the winner," some more cheering at Dumbledore's words. He seemed to be trying to let them get it all out. Once it settled down again he went on, "I've instructed staff to patrol the perimeter. Should — at any point — a contestant wish to withdraw from the task, he or she need only send up red sparks with their wand." he held up his own, old and battered looking wand for emphasis. Dumbledore turned from the crowd and called, "Contestants, gather round," and stepped off the podium towards them as they walked over to him. "Quickly!"

Maya was the first one to reach Dumbledore, Harry and the other three reaching him just after that. They huddled around in a circle and Dumbledore placed his arms across Krum and Fleur's shoulders, lowering his voice enough so that the contestants could hear, but the audience couldn't. "In the maze, you'll find no dragons or creatures of the deep, instead you'll face something even more challenging." His eyes scanned over Harry for a moment, "You see, people change in the maze," he looked at each one of them, pausing on the Hogwarts students a little longer than he did with the foreign visitors. "Oh, find the cup if you can, but be very wary. You could just lose yourselves along the way."

She gulped and backed away as Dumbledore marched right past them, shouting, "Champions, prepare yourselves!" Everyone took a place at the end of the maze as the band began to play music once again, and Maya watched as Cedric and his father bid farewell, and Fleur and her sister did as well. Dumbledore bellowed, "On the count of three. One —" he was cut off by Mr. Filch, who fired the canon prematurely and the fanfare started up once more. Dumbledore gave the groundskeeper an exasperated look and shook his head, walking back to stand beside the podium.

A little nudge forward from Moody and Potter entered the maze, Cedric doing the same. They took a few steps and then Krum went into the maze, then Fleur. She took a few steps, and that left Maya. She took a deep breath and stepped into the maze. Walking forward. She stopped and looked back at the crowd for a moment before the bushes closed around the way she came in and the music and cheering faded until there was nothing but silence. Maya was alone, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Too late to turn back, now.

"How hard can it be?" Maya whispered to herself, drawing her wand from her pocket and clutching it firmly in her hand. She walked for several minutes, until the fog and darkness made it hard to see the next turn clearly. "Lumos," she whispered and looked around, seeing which path looked to be the best option. Hearing a crack behind her, she whispered, "Nox," and hurried down one of the paths. The way she came closed up. _Brilliant_.

It was quiet, with the occasional snap from the maze adjusting itself. The air was still for a long while, a cool, early summer breeze changing that for a split second. There was a loud, echoing shout of pain, fear, and surprise, and Maya instinctively began to jog, a fight or flight instinct kicking in, though she unable to locate where the sound was coming from. Better than waiting to find out what had happened. At this point the others might've considered it every champion for themselves.

She heard some footsteps and rounded a corner, keeping quiet and walking for a while. She heard a faint shout that sounded like Potter, looking up to see a faint burst of red. That likely meant that Potter had been injured or something, but from what she knew of him, he wasn't much of a quitter. Everybody knew that. Maya kept alert as she continued forward.

There was a sudden whistling noise, and leaves began to fly everywhere. The maze started to shake, and Maya heard the maze starting to close up. She broke into a full out sprint, turning wherever she could to avoid the closing maze. Maya skidded to a stop, nearly colliding with Cedric Diggory. He whirled around, wand at the ready. She stumbled back, falling to the ground. He helped her up, looking her over, "Are you okay?" he asked her.

Swallowing hard, and trying to catch her breath, she nodded, "Yeah, I'm — I'm fine…" Maya wasn't sure if she should be so relieved to bump into someone else, though Cedric hopefully wasn't going to harm her unless she harmed — or tried to harm — him. She heard panting, coming from in front of them and off down the other side. A figure was lumbering towards them, arm outstretched and wand pointed towards them. "Is — Is that Krum? What's he doing?"

Potter came sprinting into the path between Cedric and Maya and Krum, and Cedric shouted to both of the fourteen year-olds as Krum shouted a spell, "Get down!" Maya and Potter both fell to the ground as a bolt of greenish light came from Krum's wand and there was a zap. Cedric stumbled, but managed to get out of the way. "Get down!" Cedric repeated as he recovered, standing back up to face the Bulgarian. The green light returned, but before he could say anything, Cedric flicked his wand and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

There was a flash of silvery-white light and it hit Krum, sending him flying backwards. Cedric ran over to him, leaping over Potter, and he kicked Krum's wand from his hand, pointing his own wand down at him. Maya and Potter couldn't see his face, but could both tell what a likely outcome to the situation was. Maya scrambled to her feet, Harry doing the same, and they both raced over to grab Cedric, Harry shouting, "No, stop! He's bewitched, Cedric, he's bewitched!"

Maya had grabbed Cedric's wand arm and tried to pull him back, but he shook both of them off, snarling, "Get off me!" Once he had pushed them off, he raced down the path, Harry following closely. Maya was left with no other choice but to follow them, annoyed by their shoving. She couldn't move ahead of them as they grabbed one another and shoved them behind. Potter even ripped the back of Cedric's shirt, a loud, frustrated grunt coming from Cedric.

They suddenly stopped, and Maya could see why when she stopped behind them, standing on her toes so she could see over their shoulders. The cup was right there, just on the end of the path. Cedric and Potter wasted no time in racing to the cup, shoving each other. Maya kept up with them, eventually tiring of them slowing her down. She shoved between them, dodging as Potter reached for her shirt to pull her back. Then she heard a loud crack, and Cedric grunt in pain. She slowed to a stop, heart racing, and Potter sprinted ahead. Looking back, she found him entangled in several roots that were determined to pull him back. "Cedric!" Maya didn't know him well, but no way was she leaving him like _that_.

She turned around and went back, trying to think of a spell to get the roots off of him. This whole tournament was a cruel joke, wasn't it? Some grown wizard's idea of a prank. Maya struggled to break the roots, but they wrapped around her arm and yanked her along with them. "Harry! Harry!" shouted Cedric, his voice hoarse. He continued shouting over Maya's grunting, and Potter froze. He glanced towards the cup and then back at Cedric. Maya had a feeling he was weighing the worth of their lives against the worth of winning. "Help us, please! Please!" choked Cedric, and Potter aimed his wand at the roots in between Maya and Cedric.

"Reducto!" he bellowed and there was a flash of light. Part of the roots broke off and they stopped pulling. He raced to help them get it off. Cedric was first, and Harry then worked to get Maya free. The three of them stood up, out of breath. Cedric looked as if he was going to vomit, and he started to cough. Maya and Potter both patted him on the shoulder.

"Thanks," Cedric said, to both of them, but mostly to Potter.

"No problem…" Potter panted.

Maya leaned against the maze, catching her breath. Cedric, still panting, said, "You know…for a moment there, I thought you were going to let it get me — both of us, actually." Maya looked between Cedric and Potter, not sure if she could really trust either one of them right now.

Potter replied, "For a moment, so did I."

"Some game, huh?" Cedric asked, looking at Harry and then at Maya. Maya brushed her hair out of her eyes and gave him a look of annoyance. The tournament was awful. 'Some game' is right, however, in a negative way.

Maya and Potter both agreed in unison, "Some game…"

The three of them froze again as the crunching and crackling started up. Maya quickly pushed herself off of the maze wall, not wanting to get sucked inside. She placed herself between Cedric and Potter. Perhaps some might see it as her looking for comfort, but in reality, if that thing decided to start grabbing someone again, then Cedric and Potter would be the first it got. Okay, maybe she did care about them enough to not want that to happen, but still. Nervously, she bit her lip as it grew louder, "Uh…guys, I don't mean to interrupt, but…perhaps we should —"

The wind picked up again and the maze began to shake violently. Cedric finished her thought, shouting over the noise, "Go!" and giving Potter and Maya a shove to get them running. The trio ran as fast as their legs could carry them, leaves snapping against them. Maya had a hard time not tripping over the other two. They came to a halt at the cup, and Cedric looked back at the wind and said to Potter, "You saved us, take it! Kensington and I will be fine."

Potter watched the wind for a minute and looked down at Maya and then up at Cedric, "Together!" he shouted to them.

All of them, at the same time, began counting, "One, two, three!" after three, they all lunged, grabbing a part of the cup at the same time. Cedric and Potter grabbed one of the sides, and Maya grabbed the thin neck of it. There was a flash and blue and white light began to swirl around them. It was a portkey — Maya had read a lot about them. Then they fell hard and abruptly to the ground, all of them releasing the cup. Cedric, when he let go, sent it off to the side and it rolled up next to a stone of some sorts.

Maya grunted in pain, sitting up and wrapping her arm around her ribcage. She landed on a sharp rock-like object, and in the wrong way, right on her side so the point of the rock hit her in the ribs. It hurt to breathe, like there was a shooting pain in her lung, but she managed anyways. Wincing with pain, she staggered to her feet with Potter and Cedric. "You okay?" Cedric asked Potter.

"Yeah. You?" Potter answered, but his question went unnoticed as Cedric rose to his feet and took in his surroundings.

"Kensington, are you hurt?" Cedric noticed Maya keeping one arm wrapped around where she was sure there was a cracked rib — at the very least, it was bruised. She nodded, biting her tongue to keep from exclaiming in pain. Cedric, although he didn't look convinced, looked back out at their dreary surroundings. He placed his hands on his hips, "Where are we?" he asked, looking around. A few ravens stirred and flared their wings at the sound of his voice echoing.

Potter appeared to be in some kind of trance, walking up to a creepy old statue as Cedric began to walk around. Maya stayed where she was, not wanting to venture to far from the others. Plus, he ribs hurt and she didn't want to move. "Potter, what're you looking at?" she asked as Potter began to examine the statue. "Harry, are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I've been here before…" he whispered, circling the statue.

Cedric had gone over to the cup and crouched down beside it. "It's a portkey," he observed, a slight chuckle in his voice. "Kensington, Harry, the cup's a portkey —"

"I've been here before," Potter repeated quickly, loud enough that Cedric could hear, looking around wildly. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he added, "in a dream…" Maya hobbled over to stand beside the statue so that she could see Potter and Cedric. Had Potter lost his mind or something? He held his wand firmly in his hand, tracing his hand over some lettering on the statue. It was then that Maya realized, to her horror, that they were standing in a graveyard. Urgently, he said, "Cedric, Kensington, we have to get back to the cup. Now!"

"What are you talking about?" Cedric asked, voice laced with concern. There was a pause and the sound of a door creaking open, a faint orange light appearing a few feet away. Maya dove behind the statue as Potter began to scream in pain, falling to his knees as a cauldron nearby began to burn. She saw Cedric rush to Potter's side out of the corner of her eye, but from then on she could only hear what was going on. "Harry, what is it?"

"Argh!" Potter cried out in pain. Through his grunting and groaning he managed to shout out, "Get back to the cup!"

After a moment's pause, she heard Cedric shout defensively, "Who are you, what do you want!?"

Maya knew it was a coward's move to hide behind the statue like she did, but it ended up saving her life, because a moment later she heard a hoarse voice rasp out an order. "Kill the spare!" It was quiet and cold. Menacing, was a good word to describe it.

Another voice, a less scratchy and lower pitched than the first, yelled out what Maya recognized from Moody's class as the killing curse, "Avada Kedavra!"

There was a flash of bright green light, and Harry crying out, "No! CEDRIC!" Maya held back the urge to yelp in fear and sadness when she saw Cedric land a couple of feet away, beside the cup. His eyes were open, staring up into nothing, blank expression visible. _Oh, God, no…_ Maya's mouth hung open in a silent yell, choking back the urge to start sobbing. She wasn't close to Cedric, and she'd done nothing to save him, but that didn't make his death any less tragic to her.

Maya flinched as she heard a whooshing noise and the statue began to move. The sound of Potter struggling against something mixed in with the crunching of stone. The wings on the statue — which appeared to be a Grim Reaper like statue — flared out and it moved from an angle to facing straight on, then the scythe moved in front of it so it was horizontal across its chest. It didn't move after that, and Maya saw Harry's legs swing out when she peaked from around the large stone statue. Someone had trapped him, hadn't they? Perhaps this whole thing was a setup to begin with. That had to be it, but why?

The first voice that had ordered Cedric's death, rasped again, "Do it. Now!" Maya peered from around the statue once more, and saw a pudgy, scraggly man lift up a blanket and drop a wrinkly gray figure into the cauldron. The figure grunted pathetically as it dropped into the cauldron with a splash. Maya ducked back behind the statue as the pudgy man aimed his wand at the tombstone.

"Bone of the father — unwillingly given," Cedric's killer pulled a bone from the grave using his wand, guiding it over to the cauldron and dropping it in. Maya figured it was safe for her to look back, and she regretted doing so almost instantly. The pudgy man put his wand away and said, "Flesh of the servant — willingly sacrificed," he raised his arm over the cauldron and pulled out a knife, slicing it across his wrist. In one swift movement, his hand came completely off and dropped into the cauldron, screaming out in pain. Potter groaned in disgust, and Maya felt like she was going to vomit. Closing her eyes, she hid once more as he looked back at the statue. She heard the man say, "Blood of the enemy…" footsteps hurrying over to Harry, "…forcibly taken…" Potter began to cry out in agony, and Maya heard fabric rip. What was he doing to him?

Once more, when she was sure he had turned away, she looked out. He held the knife over the cauldron and tapped the blood from Harry into it. "The Dark Lord shall rise again." Potter began to scream out again, this time one long cry instead of groans. The entire cauldron was engulfed by flames, the man scuttling away from it. He held his handless arm close to him, blood staining his already filthy clothes.

Maya heard a loud, unearthly cry from the cauldron as it faded to black mist that swirled around a pinkish-gray form. It was bony, resembling the tiny wrinkled thing that the man had dumped into the cauldron. It was writhing as gooey liquid slowly fell from it, like it was melting. Its arms were long and spindly, and it's legs were slowly growing. The mist engulfed it and then wrapped around it like a cloak. It landed on the ground, on its feet, now a fully formed, discolored grayish-silver man with a long black cloak. He was bald, and had slightly mottled skin.

He ran his hands along his head, as if expecting to have hair. Then he stopped, his hands on either side of his face. He gave a low chuckle, walking — almost gliding — over to his servant, who looked as if he was going to cry. "My wand, Wormtail…" the gray, bald man ordered in a half-whisper. Wormtail, if that was his name, reached into his breast pocket and presented the wand to his…master. He gave a sort of odd sound, as if he approved. Taking the wand in his hand, he said, "Hold out your arm, Wormtail."

Wormtail looked on the verge of tears, "Master…thank you, master…" he lifted his arm without a hand. What did he expect him to do? Give him his hand back? It didn't seem likely, even to Maya.

"The _other_ arm, Wormtail!" his 'master' snapped. Wormtail looked genuinely hurt, his mouth opened in shock. Nevertheless, he shut his mouth and slowly lifted his unscathed right arm. The bald wizard-creature-snake-thing, as Maya was considering calling it, grabbed Wormtail's arm and moved his tattered sleeve aside, pushing the end of his wand into the skin. Thunder rumbled, and both ugly looking men turned to the sky. Maya looked up as well, to see a cloud that resembled the mark she saw in the newspaper after the world cup. A skull with snake-like canine teeth opening its mouth and a snake slithering out.

She tried to keep low and hidden as trails of black fell from the sky, twisting about and gracefully falling to the ground as people standing in a misshapen circle. Maya could see them, the strange, skull-like masks that they were wearing, covering half of their faces. One of them she could of sworn she'd seen before. He was closest to the grave, and had long, pale-blond hair. It looked like Draco's hair, of course, long like his father's. Surely it wasn't his father? It couldn't be, could it? Maya counted how many there were, and she knew that her alone wouldn't stand a chance. Even if Harry managed to get free, neither one of them were powerful or skilled enough to take on that many fully grown wizards. Especially if — like Wormtail — they wouldn't hesitate to use an unforgivable curse.

The bald wizard — or the Dark Lord, as Wormtail had mentioned in his strange ritual — looked around the group surrounding him, talking quickly. "Welcome, my friends…" he paused. "Thirteen years it's been, and yet, here you stand before me as if it were only yesterday. Well, I confess myself…disappointed…" His voice grew…colder, if that was even possible. "Not _one_ of you tried to find me — Crabbe, Macnair, Goyle," he ripped off the masks of them as he spat out their names.

Maya watched them fall to their knees, some even falling backwards. She ran the names she recognized through her head, processing. Crabbe…Goyle…okay, they were Draco's friends' surnames. That meant that at least most of the people here were Purebloods, all gathered together at the summons of a Dark Lord. If memory served Maya correctly, their families had been supporters of an evil wizard known as Voldemort. But didn't Carol tell her that it was likely Voldemort had died or vanished for all of eternity, at least? It couldn't be, but the bald snake-man could very well be Voldemort. If it was, then that meant that it really could be Draco's father that Maya saw there.

Sure enough, suspicions were confirmed. Voldemort — at least, who Maya believed to be Voldemort — turned to the long-haired follower. "Not even you…" he said in disappointment, and icily added, "…Lucius…" and swiftly removed the mask from Draco's father's face. There stood Lucius Malfoy, slowly dropping to his knees, eyes fixed on Voldemort.

"My Lord…" Lucius whispered, "had I detected any sign or a whisper of your whereabouts —"

"There were signs, my slippery friend!" Voldemort interrupted. "And more than whispers!"

"I assure you, my lord, I have never renounced the old ways…" he removed the hood he was wearing, revealing his full head and face. His eyes glinted in the light. Voldemort stared down at him for several moments. Maya clenched her fists. What had she expected? And how would she confront Draco about it, if she even should? If she lived long enough, that is. Lucius rose to his feet, "The face I have been obliged to present each day since your absence…" Maya ducked down as he glanced over in her direction, like he was checking to make sure that no one was there to hear him. Had he seen her? He didn't look back again even if he did. "…that is my true mask."

Wormtail crept forward, raising his one good arm and holding his bony pointer finger in the air, he said half proud, " _I_ returned."

Voldemort glided over to him and he winced and fell almost to his knees. The dark wizard spat at him, "Out of fear. Not loyalty." He began to comfortingly stroke Wormtail's back, if you could call it comforting. "Still, you have proven yourself useful these past few months, Wormtail." Voldemort waved his wand over what was left of his servant's wrist and a silver, metal hand formed around it.

He examined his new hand in awe, looking again as if he was going to cry. "Oh, thank you, master…" Wormtail looked over at Voldemort as he began to walk away, towards Cedric, and he whispered one final, hoarse, "…thank you…"

The dark lord tsked as he approached Cedric's body. He placed a foot on his cheek, moving his head to the side, "Oh…such a handsome boy…" It was in a 'such a shame' kind of way that he said it; hardly a compliment, if you asked Maya.

Potter spat, "Don't touch him!"

"Harry…" Voldemort sounded surprised, and he turned his attention to Potter. "Why, I'd almost forgotten you were here, standing on the bones of my father. Along with your spying, cowardly little friend. Perhaps she'd care to join us?" Maya couldn't see what Voldemort had done, because he'd moved to the front of the statue. She gasped and tried to squirm away when she felt a hand grab her shoulder and yank her to her feet. It was Lucius, dragging her over for the others to see. Maya and Potter made eye contact, but she couldn't bare to look at him after hiding like that. Voldemort gave her a contemptuous look and then returned his gaze to Potter, "I'd introduce you, but word has it you're almost as famous as I am these days. The boy who lived. How lies have fed your legend. Shall I reveal what really happened that night, thirteen years ago?"

Maya was only half listening as she squirmed against Lucius's grip. He only held on tighter, as if her pathetic attempt at an escape didn't even phase him one bit. Come to think of it, if he could carry out a conversation — however brief — with Voldemort, then she really doubted that she posed much of a threat. Not like she ever did to begin with. "Let me _go_!" Maya snarled over Voldemort's story telling to Potter as she kicked at Lucius. Her inured rib made it hard, and when Lucius jabbed her in the side where it hurt in order to silence her, she broke off her struggling and let out a loud cry of pain, just as Voldemort touched a finger to Potter's lightning bolt shaped scar and Harry yelled in agony.

Had the number of Voldemort's followers grown, or was she imagining it? Maya wondered, looking around as best she could as Voldemort challenged Harry to a 'proper' duel. Lucius had moved her into a chokehold to keep her from moving and struggling. Not that it stopped her from talking. "You worthless git…" Maya spat up at him through gritted teeth, and he looked down at her in mild-shock. "You don't remember me? I'm touched, Mr. Malfoy…"

"Ah yes, the Ravenclaw that my son introduced me to at the World Cup. I must say I'm surprised to see you hear…Kensington, was it?" Lucius glanced up at Potter, forced into a bow by Voldemort. "I must say, I'm a bit disappointed that my son would mix with improper folks such as yourself. I've never heard mention of your name…for your sake, and Draco's, I hope you're at least a half-blood. He seems to care for you, and I really don't want my eldest son associating with a mudblood."

Maya glanced back at the duel between Voldemort and Harry. As expected, it was far from fair. Voldemort seemed to be toying with him, rather than dueling. _Come on, Potter, please do something…I need an opportunity…_ she urged silently. Maya knew that, at this point, it all seemed hopeless. But if Potter managed to get the upper hand, perhaps she could hold Voldemort's followers — Death Eaters, weren't they called Death Eaters? — long enough for them to possibly make it to the cup. Of course, that was all possibility. _Come on, Maya. You're in Ravenclaw. Use your head…keep planning, just a little longer..._

"Potter's as good as dead," Lucius spat in her ear. "I hope you said your goodbyes before you started this task, as I know for a fact that once he's dead, you'll be next." Maya clawed at his arm as he tightened his grip on her neck briefly, but soon loosened it to allow her to breath and yet not get away — was he trying to leave a bruise? Luckily for her, Voldemort was occupied right now and not ordering her death like he had Cedric's. When she looked back at the duel, Harry was laying on the ground, out of breath. Voldemort loomed over him, likely monologuing. _No, Harry, NO!_

Next thing she knew, Harry was forced to his feet by Voldemort and the evil wizard backed away from Potter. He backed up to his Death Eaters, briefly eyeing Maya. Potter jumped up and ran behind a headstone. Voldemort cast a spell his way, a flash of green light. Possibly a non-verbal killing curse, if that was possible, but Potter ducked out of the way in time. Furious, Voldemort bellowed, "DON'T YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON ME, HARRY POTTER! I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT ME WHEN I KILL YOU!" he took a deep breath and shouted even louder, causing a headache for Maya, "I WANT TO SEE THE LIGHT LEAVE YOUR EYES!"

Harry bravely emerged from his hiding place, "Have it your way."

However, just as Voldemort began to shout out the words for the killing curse just as Harry shouted, "Expelliarmus!" The streams from the wands collided, red from Harry's and green from Voldemort's. This was her chance, what with the Death Eaters torn between staying where they were and helping their leader fight. Voldemort made it clear, though, he wanted no help. Maya had to wait for the perfect opportunity, slowly reaching into her pocket for her wand. The perfect moment. A large bright, bubble-like thing formed around Voldemort and Harry. Flares that later turned to blurred spirits or ghost like figures appeared. Cedric was one that Maya could see. Then three people Maya didn't recognize, two that resembled Harry in some way beside him.

 _Now!_ Maya used what little muggle self defense that she'd been taught to free herself from Lucius Malfoy's grasp, immediately aiming her wand at him and shouting the first spell that came to mind. One that she'd heard several others use before. "Stupefy!" Although she'd only practiced this once or twice before, it worked surprisingly well. Though the effect was not as…well, effective as she'd hoped, it still got him away from her, if only for a brief time. Some Death Eaters were too stunned to try and get at her, but she did her best to manage the ones that did. "Petrificus Totalus!" she aimed at one, then the next, "Oculi Tumorem!" One fell to the ground with a thud and the other one cried out in pain as his eyes began to turn red and swell.

Little by little, she inched her way over to where Cedric was, hoping to pull his body to the cup and wait for Harry as long as she could, casting any defensive spells she could. Most were taken off guard, some needed an extra cast or two for it to work. Unfortunately, he was far to heavy for her to drag with one hand and still keep her guard up. She took a couple of painful hits from some curses that she'd never even heard of, and just in the nick of time, Harry pulled out of the strange duel with Voldemort and raced over to Maya and Cedric.

Maya made sure to touch Harry's arm as he had put a hand on Cedric's torn clothes and pointed his wand at the cup. "Accio!" he called, and the cup came right to him. In the blink of an eye, they were gone from the graveyard and were back at the entrance to the maze. Maya never knew that she'd ever be relieved to hear shouting and loud music and applause, however, under the circumstances, it was heartbreaking. No one realized something was wrong. She scuttled away from Cedric as what she had forgotten in the brief battle with Voldemort and the Death Eater's hit her in full force. It did the same for Harry, except that he was laying almost on top of Cedric and sobbing. Maya brushed her fingertips against his shoulder as an attempt to comfort him, but as she herself started to cry, she backed up.

It was Fleur that was the first to get suspicious, then Dumbledore. However, Fleur was the first to realize precisely what had happened. And when she did, she let out a horrified and saddened scream, that quickly changed to a choking sob. The crowd's cheering faded off as they all processed — or tried to process — what was going on.

As Dumbledore rushed over, Maya backed over to the gathering of Hogwarts students that had run down to celebrate, of course, they soon stopped when they realized something was wrong. She staggered to her feet as Dumbledore tried to pry Harry off of Cedric. Harry refused, and continued to claw and swat his way back to Cedric's body like an angry cat. Not the best comparison, and perhaps a bit insensitive, all things considered, but Maya's brain had locked up almost, aside from allowing her to cry.

Harry began to sob louder, managing a few words. He shouted to Dumbledore and the judges that had gathered around, "He's back! Voldemort's back…" He began to cry about not being able to leave Cedric, that he couldn't, and Maya felt her throat tighten up as she tried not to sob as hard as Harry was. She wasn't even close to Cedric, and yet she felt guilty for doing nothing as he was murdered.

Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, ordered Professor Snape and Professor McGonnagall to keep everyone in their seats, informing them of Cedric's death. Snape gave as shocked an expression as someone like him could give, and the two professors hurried over to surround Potter and Cedric. Even Mr. Filch looked upset by the whole ordeal.

Cedric's father and Mr. Weasley came racing and shoving through the crowd to get to Cedric. Everybody was sure to get out of the way and let him through. He fell to his knees and began to sob even louder than Harry had. That was the breaking point for Maya, and she didn't bother holding it in at that point. She had heard many people say, whilst comforting relatives or friends on the loss of a child, that a parent should never outlive their son or daughter and that losing a child was one of the most devastating things ever. Watching Mr. Diggory cry over his son's lifeless form confirmed everything she'd ever heard said. His son was murdered and nothing could ever change that or repair that kind of hurt.

Harry was dragged away from the scene by Professor Moody and Dumbledore, as everyone else dispersed to get out of the field. Maya stood there like an idiot, unsure what to do.

"Maya!" she heard Carol shout her name and looked around wildly. Then she heard it again, this time from Lewis. Finally she saw them trying to push through the crowd a few steps up. She raced towards them, meeting them halfway. They wrapped their arms around her, though she winced when they touched her side in the hug. "What on Earth happened back there?"

"I — I — I don't k-know…" Maya found herself struggling to talk to her friends for the first time since she'd gotten to know them. Her mouth moved, but every word that she tried to think of and use came out as a faint, pained squeak, like her throat was sore. Maya searched the faces in the crowd, finding Draco in a few minutes. Without a word, she pulled away from her friends and caught up to Draco, hugging him as soon as she could and sobbing into his chest. At first, he didn't respond, but once he realized who was hugging him, he returned the embrace. "Draco…" she choked out, "…oh, Draco, it w-was awful!"

"Shhh…" he soothed as best he could, swaying slightly. He pressed his lips against the top of her head, but didn't actually kiss her there. "You're safe now…no-one's going to hurt you, I promise…" The same things people always said to calm others down, but it barely helped. She opened her eyes, lifting her head and looking up at him. Something — or someone — caught her attention. Someone she despised, right behind Draco.

Maya roughly pushed past Draco, ignoring his indignant response as she marched towards Pansy Parkinson, the person she was told started her in this whole foolish competition to begin with. "You! You vile, worthless, no good, grindylow-faced —" Maya didn't bother going for her wand. She clenched her fists and walked right up to the pug-faced Slytherin girl, throwing a hard, solid punch. Or as solid as she could manage. She didn't even give Pansy time to react before she grabbed her by her collar and began to shake her. Pansy was so surprised that she hardly fought back, aside from attempting to get Maya to let go by slapping her arms.

"How _dare_ you play a joke like that one someone! _It's your fault! It's all your bloody fault!_ " Maya shouted through her sobs as she pinned Pansy to the wooden floors of the bleachers, hitting her head. She had to blame someone for everything that happened. Pansy just so happened to be a contributing factor to her entering the Tournament in the first place. It made her an easy target for Maya's anger. Now she reached for her wand, pointing it at Pansy's throat as the black-haired girl sniffled through a bloody nose.

"Kensington, _no_! Stop it!" she heard Draco shout and yanked her off of Pansy. Maya cried out in pain as he unknowingly pulled her up from around her ribcage. Still crying, she tried to lunge at Pansy again, but Draco pulled her into a seat, sort of cradling her. She struggled to get away for a few minutes longer, reminded of Lucius holding her by her neck. "If you don't stop then I'm going to use a full body binding curse, Kensington…" Draco warned. She kept sobbing, but stopped her struggling. "Come on…you're hurt. I'm taking you to the Hospital Wing, away from Pansy and all these people," he stood up, still holding Maya as she buried her face in his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. Considering how much shorter and lighter she was compared to Draco, even after shaping up a bit more over the summer, he was able to carry her through the crowd.

She remembered sobbing and screaming as she was laid down on a bed in the hospital wing. She remembered the pain from Madame Pomfrey mending her broken ribs, though she didn't remember how many there were. She remembered Draco there the entire time, in spite of Madame Pomfrey's insistence that he leave. She remembered him talking, though she didn't remember what he was saying. And then all the noise faded and her world went from fuzzy, blue, gray, and faintly orange shadows, to complete darkness.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six (Year Four): Changes Begin (End of Year Four)

"Interesting…Well, that will be all, Mr. Malfoy," Maya heard Professor Snape say as she slowly woke up. Her eyes were closed up until he said Malfoy. Now they were wide open, and she began to struggle, trying to get up and reach for her wand on the bedside table, only to feel hands on her shoulder hold her down. After a while of crying out 'no' and several other incoherent words to whoever held her down, she gave in and let herself go limp, still breathing hard. Her eyes focused, changing from blurred out light. _Mr. Malfoy_ …he meant _Draco_ Malfoy, not his father, _Lucius_ Malfoy, who she'd seen at the graveyard. Sure enough, Draco was standing next to Snape, a hand placed onto her arm. Professor Snape was holding onto her shoulders and Professor McGonnagall and Professor Flitwick pinned her feet and knees down to keep her from kicking out.

Madame Pomfrey had rushed to her bedside with a bottle in her hand. A Calming Draught. Surely she didn't need one. Nevertheless, Madame Pomfrey administered it to her while she was held down and the professors let go of her as her breathing slowed. Almost every teacher was there. Snape, McGonnagall, Flitwick — though him being there was to be expected, as he was Ravenclaw's head of house. Then there was Dumbledore and Fudge. All of them standing there, looking at her, made her feel quite nervous. They all saw her panicking, so it was also somewhat embarrassing.

"She's had a long night," Madame Pomfrey offered an explanation. "Barely got a good night's sleep, poor dear, what with all that crying and tossing and turning. Mr. Malfoy there had to help me calm her down. She may be a bit groggy. This is as conscious as she's been. I do hope that Mr. Potter isn't in this bad a condition. Wouldn't surprise me if he was, though. Those two had a hard time last night."

"Regardless, we must question her on the events that happened," Fudge gave Maya a long, considering look. She didn't trust him. Not one bit. "With that Diggory boy's death, perhaps we can hear the right side of the story and offer some comfort to Mr. Diggory."

"I, for one, believe what Mr. Potter has told us," Dumbledore said calmly, and Fudge shot him a furious look. One that demanded silence. "However, if you really wish to question Miss Kensington, by all means, go ahead. Though I'm sure that she'll give us a similar, if not the same story that Mr. Potter did." Fudge gave a nod of approval.

The minister looked to Draco, who was dabbing at a scratch on Maya's head with a warm wash clothe, then to Snape, gesturing towards Draco. Snape cleared his throat and Draco looked up, glancing around at the other teachers. "It would be best if you were to leave, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Snape said in his usual monotone, "as this is a semi-private matter. Surely you can understand?"

"Yes, Professor," Draco didn't argue and he placed the clothe down and gave one last comforting look at Maya before he headed out of the Hospital Wing. He opened the doors and then closed it behind him. The teachers and Maya listened until the faint echo of his footsteps outside had faded away.

Fudge turned back to Maya, giving her a fake smile, "Now, Miss Kensington. Can you tell us, to the best of your abilities, what happened last night between young Mr. Potter and Cedric Diggory?" Maya bit her lip and looked around nervously. She didn't trust Fudge, and she definitely did not wish to talk with him about any of last night's events. "Well?" he tapped his foot impatiently, but kept up his smile. "We're waiting, girl. The sooner you tell us, the sooner we leave."

"She's a shy one. Quiet, too," McGonnagall sort of came to her defense, if she really needed one to begin with. "While admirable in a student — especially during exam times — I'm afraid she may not be much help. Perhaps if Filius could speak with her alone, he may be able to get her to open up about it." The suggestion wasn't all that bad. In fact, Maya actually thought Professor Flitwick was one of the better teachers, though she only realized that now that she was nervous and looking back on Charms classes over the last four years. She hadn't recalled many classes this year, though. Probably forgot in all the excitement.

"Well…" Fudge looked hesitant, but finally caved. "Very well. I expect answers before Lunch time. Though, if it really takes you that long then perhaps you aren't as close to your students as you think." He, along with the other teachers aside from Flitwick, walked briskly out of the room. Even Madame Pomfrey, after a bit of protest, followed the others.

Flitwick sat in the chair beside her bed, however, being quite small, it looked a bit off. "Don't mind him, Kensington," he gave a reassuring smile. "Fudge is just a bit stressed out. There's been a bit of tension between him and Dumbledore, but that information is strictly between you and I." Maya nodded. Fair enough. "According to young Mr. Malfoy, it seems you, uh…attacked a certain Pansy Parkinson. Something about her putting your name in the Goblet, with the help of some older students of course, and you giving her a piece of your mind." She opened her mouth to apologize, but he held a hand up, "No, no. You don't have to say anything. While none of us approved of your method, even Snape admits that Miss Parkinson was out of line. He kept her up all night with some form of punishment, however, she is still going to be your classmate."

 _Oh…joy…_ Maya did indeed remember attacking Parkinson. Everything from then on was still fuzzy. Except for how much pain she was in. There was no way she could forget that. Part of her was glad that Professor Flitwick wasn't getting straight to the point, the other part wanted him to hurry it up so she could be alone for a while longer. Madame Pomfrey said that if she stayed awake and lucid by lunch time, then she would be allowed out of the Hospital Wing to go to dinner when the time came. Her throat raw from crying, she managed a few, hoarse words, "Professor…with all do respect, would you mind speeding it up with the questions…I-I really w-would like to be alone…"

"Right, right," Flitwick nodded with a warm smile, patting her hand gently. "Of course. I understand perfectly. Now, I know it may be a bit…uncomfortable, but could you please tell me what happened — from your perspective — last night during the task. Take your time, now."

Maya told him what she could remember. Krum's strange behavior, the portkey, the pudgy man that killed Cedric, how several Death Eaters were there at the summons of Voldemort. She didn't say who they were, because as much as they deserved a trip to Azkaban, she didn't want to split families up. Of course, it was important information, but when asked if she ever saw their faces or heard their names, she just said that she couldn't remember. Flitwick seemed a bit shaken by this information, and had hissed at her not to say Voldemort's name. When she was finished, Flitwick said goodbye to her and that he hoped she felt better soon and then left to see the others.

Madame Pomfrey came back in a minute or two later, sure to shut the door behind her. She was carrying a glass of water and set it down on the bedside table. "For your throat, dear," was her reason. "Professor Flitwick told me that your throat was a bit raw. This should help it a bit. If you feel up to it, you're welcome to stretch your legs for a few minutes. Only around here. You are not to leave this hospital, understand?" Maya nodded and began to drink the water as Madame Pomfrey disappeared into her office.

 _Might as well get up and get used to moving after spending so much time in bed…_ Maya pulled the covers off of her and stepped out of bed. Her clothes had been changed by Madame Pomfrey in the night, and she'd been cleaned up as well, so instead of her tattered clothes from the tournament, she was wearing some soft, silk-like pajamas. Maya was barefoot now, and she winced as her feet hit the cold floor. She nearly lost her balance as she stood up, a bit lightheaded. It might have had something to do with the fact that she hadn't eaten since lunch the day before.

It took a little while, but she finally gathered the strength to actually walk around. She went over to the door of the Hospital, curiosity getting the better of her. Perhaps they were still outside talking. She pressed her head to the door and made out a muffled conversation between Fudge and Dumbledore. Maya didn't know if the other professors were around or not. "I'm telling you, Dumbledore. He's _not back_. Potter's a fool for saying so, and I'm sure that he did something to the Kensington girl in there to get her to say that You-Know-Who was back. Now, if you go spreading these lies about it all…then I'll —"

"Then you'll what?" challenged Snape's voice, much to Maya's surprise. Fudge stammered and Maya knew then that he had nothing to say. He was making an empty threat, plain and simple.

"I think it's about time you were leaving, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "Professor McGonnagall, would you show him the way out?" And the conversation ended.

* * *

Maya had avoided Carol and Lewis as much as she could. They seemed to be giving her space as well, and she didn't run into them at all over the past few days. She saw them in the oddly arranged Great Hall when Maya arrived on the last day they were to be at Hogwarts that year. She arrived later than everyone else, and instantly searched for Draco in the seats. She looked up at the decorations. They were black flags instead of any House colors, with a white H for Hogwarts on them. The ceiling reflected a cloudy afternoon sky, looking as if it were going to rain.

Everyone, including Draco, looked extremely depressed. Maya had an idea as to why, but didn't say anything. None of the Slytherins sitting near Draco, not even Pansy, made any indication that they were annoyed by her presence. Draco glanced up as she took the seat next to him, which he appeared to have saved.

There was silence for several minutes, as Dumbledore sat in his seat. None of the other teachers were up with him. Instead, they all sat in the front row, among their students. The headmaster cleared his throat, still sitting down. Maya knew what was going on as soon as Dumbledore started talking, "Today, we acknowledge a really terrible loss." He paused and then stood up from his chair, "Cedric Diggory was, as you all know, exceptionally hardworking, infinitely fair-minded, and most importantly, a fierce, fierce friend." Maya looked down at her hands, heart sinking at his words. "Now, I think therefore, you all have a right to know exactly how he died. You see," Dumbledore stepped forward to the stand where he usually gave announcements at dinner, "Cedric Diggory was murdered, by Lord Voldemort!"

Draco flinched at the name, briefly pursing his lips in thought. Dumbledore continued, "The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so, I think, would be an insult to his memory!" There was a pause as Dumbledore let what he said sink in, then we went on, softer this time, "Now the pain we feel at this dreadful loss reminds me and reminds us that while we may come from different places and speak different tongues, our hearts beat as one." He took a breath. "In light of recent events, the bonds of friendship we've made this year will be more important than ever," he said. Draco looked at his feet sadly, and Maya took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "Remember that, and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain. You remember that, and we'll celebrate a boy who was kind and honest and brave and true, right to the very end."

Dumbledore's speech came to an end after that, and everyone sat in silence, aside from the sniffles and faint crying from a few people.

* * *

"You will write, won't you?" Maya asked Draco as they hopped out of the carriages, grabbing their bags. She carefully lifted Aspen's carrier, ignoring the angered snarling from the almost cat-sized animal, that had fought Maya when she had to be put in her carrier. Maya guessed that was what happened when you let an animal roam free for an entire year.

Draco walked next to her on the side where she wasn't holding Aspen. Maya knew he still hadn't gotten over the ferret incident, though she doubted he would. Not for a long while at least. No matter how many times she pointed out the differences between Aspen's species versus her ferret cousins. He ignored her, convinced that being related to them was far too similar.

He considered her question for a moment before he finally answered, "I'll try my best to write as often as I can. I'm not sure what our plans are this summer, but I'll check with my mother and let you know."

"Sounds like a deal," she said to him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He smirked at her and Maya rolled her eyes at him. Him and that stupid smirk of his. Before she let herself forget, she asked him, "I meant to ask you a while ago, but I was wondering if you wanted to get together over the summer? I know, you want to check your family's plans, but I've been coming up with some things we could do in case you're interested."

"Sounds sort of fun," he replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "If I can, I'll let you know." Maya gave a small smile.

She heard her name called from the platform as they approached, and she looked up to see Carol and Lewis waiting for her, with Carol hopping up and down to get her attention. Maya waved to them and started towards them, stopping to look back at Draco, "I've ignored them ever since…since, well…you know. They might be a bit hurt if I avoid them any longer."

Draco shrugged, "It's alright, I understand," he told her. "I've got my own friends to catch up with, in any case."

Maya set her luggage down and gave him a goodbye hug, "Hopefully I'll hear from you soon." She pulled away from the hug and gave him a quick kiss, picking up her stuff. "If you get the chance, tell Pansy that I apologize for punching her, that I hate her and that I said 'hi'," she joked, chuckling a bit and then started off toward the platform again. "Goodbye, Draco!"

"Goodbye, Kensington," he called after her as she began to jog over to her friends.

When she reached her friends, she was panting. Carol gave her a hug, Lewis joining in and turning it to a group hug. "Are you doing alright? After what happened?" Carol asked her when they'd all three pulled out of the hug and started toward the train. "We saw Malfoy carrying you to the Hospital Wing. You looked pretty beat up."

"You had enough strength to punch Parkinson, though," Lewis laughed as they boarded the train and looked for some empty seats. Carol slapped him and he only laughed harder. "You embarrassed her. She was furious. While you were unconscious, we saw her go to Madame Pomfrey and get her nose fixed. Had a concussion, too."

Maya gritted her teeth, sucking in a deep breath, "Ooh…that bad?" She admitted, she felt a bit bad, now. Granted, Parkinson was a nasty little snit, but she hadn't realized that she had beat her up that bad. Perhaps she deserved it, but that didn't make her feel any better. As they finally took their seats, Maya sighed and looked out the window, "Can we make a promise to no longer talk about that night?"

"I see nothing wrong with that," Carol replied, her and Lewis exchanging concerned looks. "Was it really that bad?"

"Let's just say," she forced a reassuring smile, not really wanting to worry them too much, "that next year is — perhaps — going to be…quite different. In fact, I don't think that much is going to stay the same within the wizarding world. Like Dumbledore said. Our bonds of friendship will be more important than ever. Not word for word, but you get the idea. We just have to stick it out together," Maya looked back out the window as the train began to move forward. "Even though things may be changing, we all still have each other, right?"


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven (Year Five): Way to Start the Year

It was a dreary night at Malfoy Manor, not something uncommon in the recent months. Lucius Malfoy sat at the desk in his study, pale grey eyes glued to several papers he needed to sort out for the family's investments. His son, Draco, sitting on a couch against the wall opposite the desk, reading while his father worked. Thunder rumbled outside, followed by a bright flash of lightning. Wind pattered against the window, and Lucius found that the noise not only made it difficult to study, but it also caused a rather painful headache to start forming.

He pulled open his desk drawer and pulled his wand from it, standing up from his chair. Draco looked up from his thick book to see what his father was doing. He said nothing, and watched as Lucius aimed his wand at the window, and without speaking a word, he simply thought extremely hard what charm he was using. Quietus. It was perhaps a bit instinctive, going for his wand, but the charm had the intended effect and the rain's sound diminished and Lucius, satisfied, sat down to pour over the investments list. Draco tilted his head, looking towards the window and then at his father, eyes glittering with pride, before he went back to his book.

There was a knock at the study door and Lucius snapped, "Come in!" and the sound of the doorknob turning could be heard. He looked up as the door opened, and saw an elderly female house-elf. She hobbled in and his eyes narrowed. "What is it _now_ , Liply?" He demanded with a sigh, resisting the urge to smirk in amusement as she flinched away.

"Visitors, sir…" Liply rasped, raising a bony finger and pointing slowly behind her, "…Liply came to fetch master quickly so visitors won't get angry like last time. Visitors waiting in the parlor for you, master, sir…"

Lucius frowned and gave a nod at the old servant. "Very well," he murmured to himself. "Let them know that I'll be with them in a moment. Then go and make some tea. And don't you _dare_ slip on the floor and drop the trays again, or you know the punishment. Now, go on and get a move on it! _Get out_!" Liply took a deep wheezing breath and murmured a 'yes sir' at his order, hobbling out of the office and shutting the door behind her. Lucius turned over to Draco, who seemed lost in his book. "Draco, go and read in the library upstairs," he told him.

"But, Father," Draco protested, looking up from his book. "Can't I listen in on the meeting this time? _Mother_ does sometimes, why can't _I_?"

" _No_ , Draco," Lucius scowled at his son. It wasn't often he said 'no' to Draco, and it made it all the worse when he had pursed his lip in a kind of pout after hearing the stern 'no'. "You either read in the library or you spend the rest of the night in your bedroom." He Draco's pout quickly faded to mild surprise and he stared at Lucius in disbelief, possibly contemplating what to do, as well.

"Yes, Father…" Draco murmured at last, closing up the book he had and standing from the couch. Lucius nodded with satisfaction as his son crossed the room, opening the door and making an exit.

Lucius used his wand to put his papers in the correct order and folder, levitating them into one of the cabinets where he stored investment records and whatnot. Straightening his color, he slipped his wand into his inner coat pocket and pushed his chair back into place, marching out of his office and over to the parlor to greet his visitors.

They were who he had expected to see, though not exactly who he wanted to see. Goyle, Crabbe, MacNair, Severus, the worthless and pathetic excuse for a servant, the filthy Wormtail, and the Dark Lord. "You know I don't like to be kept waiting, Lucius," hissed the Dark Lord, turning around as he heard Lucius enter the room. "Surely almost fourteen years was a long enough wait?"

"Forgive me, my lord," Lucius lowered his head and gaze to the ground in an almost bow like manner. "I was going over my investments, and my son was being…quite difficult when I asked him to leave. He wanted to listen in on the meeting."

"Ah, yes," Voldemort gave a brief, sadistic smile. "Your only son. The one you believe is in 'love' with a filthy muggle. Tsk, tsk, tsk…my dear, dear, Lucius," he shook his head, steely, snake-like eyes fixed on him. "And I thought you raised him in a proper, stable environment. Of course, there's always an easy fix to that problem you have there."

"Oh, yes, indeed!" MacNair chuckled malevolently, rubbing his hands together as if in anticipation for something. "I for one find that death is always an effective way to _snap_ —" he grinned and broke off into brief laughter, snapping his fingers together, "— someone back into reality! Hahaha!" Lucius shot him a sour, disapproving glare as Goyle and Crabbe joined in on the laughter.

It was Severus who came to his 'rescue', if one could even call it that. "Surely you aren't suggesting that his first resort be the murder of a fourteen-year-old girl," he said with a blank expression, "when the problem could first be solved with a proper amount of discipline towards Draco? With the current state of the ministry, it would be prudent to consider other options before death, MacNair."

"Draco's going through some sort of…questioning of morals, I want to say. I'll correct the problem soon enough, my lord," Lucius promised.

"See to it that you do," Voldemort snarled. "I'd hate to have to go out of my way to deal with one single worthless mudblood and your blood traitor son. Somebody has to be able to enact my second plan, should you or the others slip up and fail in your duty. After all, he's the only competent child born to one of you lot," the Dark Lord's gaze swept over Crabbe and Goyle, who looked to their feet in shame, saying nothing as their wicked smiles faded.

Lucius felt pride that Draco was of some value to Voldemort, even if he was still a possible target in the Dark Lord's eyes. "As I said, my lord, I _will_ correct his…abhorrent behavior."

"Perfect," Voldemort replied. "Now, on to more pressing concerns…"

* * *

Maya yawned as she sat at her family's breakfast table, her eyes feeling heavy. Her grandfather pushed a cup of coffee and some oatmeal with strawberries and honey towards her. The strong smells from the warm beverage and meal was enough to grab her attention. Had the kitchen lights not been on, she would have been unable to see the little smiley face that her grandfather had made from the cut up strawberries. She squinted at her watch. 4:30. In the morning. It was still dark.

It was a Thursday morning, the 10th of August. Close to the date she'd be returning to Hogwarts for her fifth year. Her family still hadn't made the eleven hour drive to London from her grandparent's farm to purchase her school supplies for the year. Her muggle summer homeschooling had been completed a week or so ago and Maya had been trying ever since to get them to drive her. But, until then, she was confined to getting up at unholy hours to work on her parents farm. On the plus side, it earned her money that she could convert to wizarding currency to buy her school books.

"Have you got your bags packed?" her grandfather asked when she was halfway through her meal, taking a sip of his coffee and turning the page from the book he was reading. He didn't look at her, and somehow seemed to be listening.

She looked up from her oatmeal him and raised an eyebrow. Packing bags? For what? Perhaps they were taking a trail ride with some of her grandmother's horses, as she knew that she would need them. So, he meant saddlebags. "I wasn't aware that I needed to, but I can go and do it now. Which horses are we taking out?"

It was his turn to be confused, nearly choking on his coffee. He stared at her in disbelief, "Are you completely out of your mind, child? Horses? All the way to London! You'd turn an eleven hour drive into at least a three day ride, and that's with just short breaks and sleeping at night. You've an odd sense of humor, Maya. Very funny!"

Maya furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about? London…wait a minute…you're driving me out to London to get ready for Hogwarts?" She perked up and was wide awake as soon as he nodded, giving her a brief, bewildered look. "Of course! I thought you meant bags for a trail ride, but — and no offense intended — I'm glad I was wrong! I've been packed for weeks, now. Ready to leave, whenever you are."

"That's the most cheerful I've ever seen you, kid," her grandfather chuckled, standing up from his chair and closing his book. "Go and get your bags and bring 'em down and we'll head on out. Your mother and brother are takin' care of the farm, today, in case you're wondering. Oh, and grab your money you've earned this summer."

* * *

 _Dear Draco,_

 _I'm hoping that this letter arrives within a decent time frame, of course, I'm not sure if it will. However, should this arrive before it's time for us to return to Hogwarts, I'm writing to let you know that my grandfather dropped me off in London last week and I will be staying at The Leaky Cauldron for the remainder of summer vacation._

 _Sort of odd being here this early, because Diagon Alley is not yet flooded with people doing their school shopping, so it's very quiet. I've only bumped into a few people wearing Hogwarts robes. All of whom resembled first or second years. Speaking of the Alley, it's absolutely stunning at night. And with not many people, you can really enjoy the view. I have a view of it from the room I'm staying in!_

 _But, the reason I'm writing is to ask two questions. One being whether or not you've already gotten your school supplies for the upcoming year, and if not, perhaps you and I could shop together whenever you decide to come up and get them. The second question is how you've been these past few weeks. It has been some time since you and I have written each other._

 _Hope that all's well with you._

 _-Kensington_

 _ **P.S. I borrowed some old lady's owl to send this (she was really sweet and didn't mind at all!), so could you send a letter back with your own owl and send the old lady's owl back with him?**_

 _Thanks, love you!_

Maya handed off her finished letter to the borrowed owl that she mentioned in it, opening the window for the bird to fly out. She decided to leave the window open to allow for a late night summer breeze to fill the room. Aspen hopped up on the window and sat down, curling her tail around her paws and making a soft, purring like sound of content. "Don't you think about jumping out again," Maya warned, and Aspen perked her ears. "Don't. You'll be in a lot of trouble."

Aspen blinked and her nose twitched. As if she understood and chose to disobey, she crouched down and wriggled her body from side to side, ready to jump. Just before she was out of arm's reach, Maya had grabbed her under her shoulders, around her chest and pulled her out of the air, holding her in her arm farthest from the window and closing it so Aspen couldn't get back out. "I told you, Aspen," Maya set her down on the floor, "I have no plans to chase you all the way down Diagon Alley and back again! Especially not in the dark!"

She watched Aspen's ear twitch in annoyance and trotted to the other end of the room, hopping atop the bed and curling up. Maya shook her head and with an exasperated shake of her head, she grabbed her copy of the latest edition of The Daily Prophet and sat on the bed next to Aspen. Fudge, the Minister of Magic, had been doing his best to silence those that claimed that Voldemort had returned.

Fudge claimed Dumbledore was trying to overtake his position by making up the whole story about Voldemort calling Dumbledore daft among other names, even implying that Harry Potter and the 'poor, innocent, naive, young student who shall remain anonymous' (an exaggeration, but that was the gist of it) had falsified the story about Cedric's death. It was believed by many that Potter had killed Cedric and used some form of the Imperius Curse. And by saying this, some people had pushed the claim that Hogwarts was reckless about what it chose to teach its students.

Although the campaign had only lasted a little while, reporters still put their own little twist on things. At one point, even Rita Skeeter had something to say about it, but ever since the Triwizard Tournament, Maya never read a thing that that joke of a writer ever dared put in the paper.

Feeling herself growing sleepier by the minute, Maya folded the paper up, staring at the moving pictures for a moment before chucking it onto the bedside table and turning out the lamp. She crawled under the covers and slowly drifted to sleep, into one of the nightmares that she thought had gone away.

* * *

Several weeks went past with no word back from Draco, not a single response to her letter. The borrowed owl returned a day or two later (and Maya promptly returned him to his owner), unaccompanied by a letter _or_ Draco's eagle owl. Of course, Maya knew that she was perhaps overthinking things, but it was already September 1st, and at 8:00 in the morning. In a few hours they'd be boarding the Hogwarts Express to begin another year, and it'd be somewhat harder to find time to get together.

Of course, the rational side of her mind told her that he was either busy with something else and spending time with his family, or he was holding some sort of grudge against her for getting overwhelmed with her muggle schoolwork and farm duties and not writing him back from his last letter that was sent in late July. In any case, the owl _did_ come back, so she knew that he at least read the letter. If that was of any reassurance.

 _Good grief, Maya!_ She snapped at herself and rolled her eyes. Right now, she felt like a stereotypical, gushing schoolgirl. One that couldn't stand to be apart from her one true love. But she reminded herself that, oh yes, she could stand to be apart from him if ever she found herself in need of alone time once she'd reached her introvert level of tolerance. Very far apart, if he was in a foul mood and she'd also reached her introvert level of intolerance.

So, without a response to her letter, Maya had gone ahead and gotten her school robes adjusted and cleaned up for the year and bought many of the school books that she would require for that year. The book that was likely for Defense Against the Dark Arts bothered her quite a bit. It was her favorite subject, and next to Care of Magical Creatures, it was also her best subject. But that year's book was unusual, to say the least. _Defensive Magical Theory_. Suspicious title, especially with 'theory' at the end of it, and the book's contents shared with her nothing about defending herself against dark arts.

When she had run into Carol and Lewis the other day, both had commented on how the title was somewhat odd, but unlike Maya, they shrugged it off and continued about their day. Not like Carol would mind much if it was just 'theory'. She was skilled in Transfiguration, and Lewis wouldn't have cared either, as his best class was Potions (much to both his and Professor Snape's irritation) with Charms being a close second. Neither one was quite as disappointed with the book as Maya was, she was sure of that. If they even bothered to open it at all.

She continued to flip through the pages, scowling down at the book. Maya knew it wasn't going to change anything, but she learned from Draco that the harder you scowled at something, the better you felt. However, scowling just made her feel even worse. Besides, who would ever take that git's advice for anything. She sighed and closed the book, setting it on the table in front of her, staring down at the cover and wrinkling her nose in disgust before shaking her head.

"No matter what way you stare at it, Kensington, the book is not going to change," a voice said behind her. Maya smirked and turned in her chair, looking up at Draco. He was dressed in his usual casual attire. A black twill suit, minus the jacket, the collar going a few centimeters up his neck, with an only slightly lighter tie. Draco returned the smirk, tilting his head back and looking down at her. "What's the matter? I don't get a kiss, or a hug, or even a hello?"

Maya stood up, smirk fading, acting all sweet and nice. She noticed how both of them had changed over the summer. He'd gotten taller, obviously, but so had she. Maya was almost his height, going a little past his shoulders rather than up to his chest like last year. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss, after she made sure that the other people in the dining area weren't watching. When Draco tried to deepen the kiss, she pulled away from him and looked at him long enough to see him smile semi-warmly and raise an eyebrow, then she lightly hit him on the arm, hard enough to make a snap. He yelped and drew away, rubbing his arm, that stupid smile wiped right off his face, "Kensington! What was that for?"

"I feel like you say that a lot…" Maya furrowed her brow, looking at the floor behind him. Before she could get lost in thought, she shrugged it off and sighed at Draco's reaction. "Calm down, Malfoy," she said, and grabbed the arm she'd hit and pushed his sleeve up. It wasn't even red. He was acting like a bludger had just flew into his arm or something. "I didn't even hit you that hard! Look, it's not red and I promise you that it won't bruise." And as pale as he was, it would be pretty hard to miss it if it was red or showed any signs of bruising. Draco gave her a scowl and took his arm from her, pulling his sleeve back down. "Okay, if it makes you feel any better, I apologize. However, it's what you get for not writing back."

"Oh, my owl was sick. Avian influenza. I managed to, uh, cure him before it got too bad, but he was recovering and was still unable to fly properly by the time I got the letter," Draco explained, like it was rehearsed. He sounded like he was lying, which — after knowing him for five years — was fairly easy. But Maya was looking for any explanation she could besides 'he ignored me'. _Merlin's beard! Now I really sound like a gushing school girl!_

"Fair enough," she replied. There was a pause before she finally said, "It's good to see you again. I take it you've already picked up your supplies for this year."

"Just finished, actually. When we got here, you weren't sitting there," Draco gestured to the table she'd been at. He gave a bored sigh and looked around the room, screwing up his face in briefly, in mild disgust. "Do they ever dust in this place?" he asked quietly, running his hand along the table. "It's always the exact same in this place. And our House Elf is dressed better than the staff…How can you trust any of the food that comes from here, Kensington?"

"Oh, come on, you," she rolled her eyes, shaking her head in annoyance and grabbed his hand, leading him towards the door that led to the entrance to Diagon Alley as the barkeep and owner, Tom, glared daggers at Draco. "We can go and get an ice cream before it's time to leave, catch up a little bit, too. Plus, I don't want you getting hexed by anybody who works here that you just insulted, you git."

* * *

"They made _Malfoy_ a prefect?" Carol asked in disbelief, lowering The Daily Prophet issue she was reading into her lap. Maya had told her and Lewis a little about her summer, and she had let slip that Draco mentioned he was made a Slytherin prefect. "Of all the people, they picked Malfoy…"

"I saw Parkinson follow him to where the prefects have there meeting on the train," Lewis added, securing his bag on the shelf so that it wouldn't fall off with all the rattling that the train was doing. "You know, of all the people to be prefects they choose — quite possibly — the worst ones. Those two already think they own the world. Imagine what being a prefect is going to do to them.

Maya found herself agreeing with them. Draco was a dominant and short-tempered person, Pansy Parkinson was assertive and ill-tempered. Put the two of them together as prefects and you had yourself a nightmare waiting to happen. Granted, they were unable to dock points from any house except for their own, which was bad news for Slytherin. She remembered once overhearing students complain about the Weasley that was a prefect for a little while. In spite of being in Gryffindor, he still made things frustrating for several students in other houses. If Draco or Parkinson were ever in a bad mood this year, which was more than likely, then rest assured they'd make everyone else in an equally as bad mood.

Eventually, as it began to grow darker outside and the conversations that Lewis and Carol initiated began to lose her interest, she drifted off into a very awful sleep. It wasn't that she wasn't in a deep sleep, but rather, she was in one that she couldn't get out of. Over the summer, the nightmares had started to fade, until she was reminded of the night of Cedric's death once more when reading the papers. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. When she first had them, and confided in her grandparents and her mom, they had told her that it was a somewhat mild case of post-traumatic stress disorder and over time it would go away. She thought it had gone away at last, but in the recent weeks her sleep was plagued by these dreams and she woke up feeling more tired and drained — both emotionally and physically — than when she had gone to sleep.

Back in the graveyard. She landed, felt the pain in her side. It was quiet, or rather, muffled. Maya had to listen really hard just to hear it over the sound of her ears ringing. She knew what they were saying, though. The blast of green light, Potter's earsplitting scream, Cedric flying backwards, landing with his eyes open. He didn't move, no matter how long she waited. The nightmare fast forwarded. Brief flashes showing the events before the Death Eaters appeared. Now the memories were out of order. She was fending off the Death Eaters as best as a (then) fourteen year old could.

Then she was being held by Lucius Malfoy in a chokehold while Potter dueled Voldemort. She broke free from his grip, wand at the ready. Then she was back to hiding behind the statue, no action going on at all. Maya felt something grasp her arm, tighten around it and saw Mr. Malfoy. She was yanked off of the ground and forced to her feet. She heard Mr. Malfoy's voice, hissing out her name. Her first name, not her surname. That wasn't right. "Maya…Maya…"

"No!" she cried as she struggled against him. But she was being pulled along, over to the waiting Death Eaters and Voldemort. Someone else was waiting with the Death Eaters. Draco? Impossible. No way he would sink _that_ low. This wasn't a memory, this was a figment from her imagination. Her subconscious making the decision to terrify her. "No!" Maya cried out one last time, feeling tears forming, and just like she was being pulled along in the dream, she felt herself being pulled out of it as her name continued to be called in Mr. Malfoy's voice. Her eyes snapped open, burning against the sudden bright light from the train car that she fell asleep in. She was safe, right?

Lewis and Carol were looking at her, the train slowing down and the wheels squealing against the metal as it started to come to a stop. It was Lewis who had been nudging her, the one calling her name to try and wake her up, "You were having some crazy dream or nightmare or something, Maya. You kept mumbling some things in your sleep. We couldn't tell what they were, but, are you alright?"

"I'm fine…" she mumbled and reached for her own bags, standing up. Her jaw hurt from laying the way she had and clenching it in her sleep. The ringing in her ears from the nightmare was there, along with a headache, likely from the stress. So on top of nightmares and a jaw-ache, she was developing tinnitus and headaches, both possibly brought on with stress. That was definitely fine to her. Perfectly normal.

Maya picked her duffle bag off the ground and then grabbed Aspen's pet carrier. "I'll meet you guys at the carriages," she told them. Carol nodded in reply and she began to help Lewis get his bag — which was apparently quite heavy — off of the shelf as Maya left and walked down to the bathrooms to change into her school robes. Lewis and Carol had apparently done that while she was asleep.

Once she was in her school uniform, she stepped out onto the platform and began on her way. She saw Potter and his friends a few feet away and called out, "Potter!" when no response came, she hurried up to them, saying hello to Granger who gave a small smile, but nothing more. Potter looked over at her, questioningly as she tapped him on the shoulder. "H-How've you been?"

"Fine, thanks, and you?" Potter asked, still walking.

"Not bad…" Maya replied, rubbing her arm, nervously. "Uh, I was actually wanting to ask you something, if you don't mind," she lowered her voice and leaned close to him so that she could whisper, "Do you have nightmares, too? And, if you did, how'd you get rid of them?" He looked at her in surprise and she moved over a few inches so they weren't as close but he could still hear her. Weasley and Granger hung back a couple of steps, and she heard Granger scold Weasley for trying to listen in. "Of…you know…that night with…Voldemort." She repeated, "Do you have nightmares?"

Harry stared at her in surprise, then looked ahead, almost at the ground, a dead sort of stare. He considered her question for a moment and then said firmly, "No, I don't. Not anymore." Maya narrowed her eyes on him suspiciously. He didn't sound like he was telling the truth. He'd had it worse than she did. A whole lot worse. Surely it had to have had some lasting effect on him, both physically and psychologically. "Look, I appreciate you asking out of what I can only assume is concern," he looked at her for a moment and then back to the ground, "but you and I aren't close. Aside from hanging out around Malfoy, I barely knew you existed until last year. Just…stay out of it, okay?"

"Sorry," she muttered, upset that he'd taken her trying to make some sort of…connection, in a way, and blew her off like that. "I was out of line, and I shouldn't have asked. My bad…" Maya stopped walking so that him and his friends could get in front of her and she could give them space. Draco and his gang came up behind her a few moments later at a brisk pace, Draco glaring at her and shoving past her, holding a newspaper in his hand for whatever reason. "Draco, you jerk. What are you doing?" She started walking, following them, returning the sour looks she got from Crabbe and Goyle. Maya already had some idea what he was doing. Or going to do. "Draco, just leave him alone."

"What, scared that by putting Saint Potter in his place then I'm going to find out what secrets the two of you were sharing? Amazed you'd waste your time talking with him. He's insane!" He sneered, and she clenched her fists in anger. She reached for his arm to grab him, but he'd gone out of reach. Draco walked, swaggered was more like, up to Potter. Once he was within earshot, he snapped, "I'm surprised the Ministry's still letting you walk around free, Potter," he slowed once he was next to him, as did Potter and his trio. Draco looked him up and down. "You better enjoy it while you can. I expect there's a cell in Azkaban with your name on it!"

Potter lunged at him, teeth gritted, spitting like a cornered cat and Draco jumped back, straightening up once Weasley had grabbed Potter and held him back. Maya stopped with a rather surprised Granger, who stared between the two boys, clutching her bag nervously. Maya pushed between them, annoyed with Draco and shocked by Potter's outburst. She clutched both her bags in one hand and gave Draco a sharp pull away from Potter. "What'd I tell you? Complete nutters!" He spat to Maya and Crabbe and Goyle.

"Just stay away from me!" Potter, still being restrained by Weasley, yelled at them, still trying to come at them.

Maya glared back at him, and then turned back to Draco. "You're really petty, you know that?" she asked him. "I was asking Potter something, not sharing secrets, you overprotective prat. I can talk to people, regardless of your personal opinion on them." Maya saw what looked like a guilty and apologetic look wash over his face, but as quickly as it had come, it vanished. "Look, hating Potter is your thing, not mine. Why'd you have to react that way to me talking to him? You couldn't have just ignored him."

"If you actually read The Daily Prophet and heard some of the stuff they say, you wouldn't want to be around him much, either," Draco told her quietly. He stopped and glanced around nervously before shoving his paper into her arms, leaning down, close to her face. Through gritted teeth, he seethed, "I have to go. Read it for yourself." And with that, he spun on his heels and marched off.

"Draco! Draco Malfoy!" Maya called after him. He glanced back, but made no other indication that he'd heard her. Something was off about his behavior. It seemed like he was…acting. That was the only word she could think of to describe it. Maya knew a lot of his normal behavior, and it made it easy to sort out whether or not he was lying or faking something. Although his performing skills had improved a lot over the years, she still felt like he was hiding something. "Argh, you slimy git!" She half-shouted just before he opened a carriage door and climbed inside.

Maya clenched her fists and felt the newspaper crumple in her grip. She looked down and unclenched her fists, straightening it out and opening it up. She looked through the pages for what Draco was talking about. _Read it for yourself. Okay, read_ what _?_ All she saw was another report on how some Quidditch team was doing that season. "Wow, Draco," she said aloud, scoffing, "that explains _so_ much. Thank you, really, it definitely explains to me why you were being an insufferable prat!"

Again, she scanned the pages. In the dark it made it hard, so she walked along to a carriage and pulled out her wand, murmuring, "Lumos." The tip of her wand illuminated and she got closer to the carriage. With all the students coming and going to sit down, she really didn't want to get plowed over. She approached a carriage. They all had the top down, since the night was clear instead of raining. Maya climbed into a carriage, setting her bags down, her arms sore, but when she heard a huffing noise, like what one of the horses sounded like when they were panting, she looked up and dropped her wand and the paper to the floor in surprise. Maya shook her head, blinking a few times to make sure she had seen right.

Worried, she picked her wand off of the floor of the carriage and quickly hopped out, walking around to the front of the carriage. She aimed her wand at the creature in front of the carriage, as if she thought it were about to attack her. But, aside from the leathery beast's menacing appearance, it actually seemed quite docile. It was like a skeletal horse, except for the aforementioned leathery skin that clung to every bone and joint. Its eyes were an iced over white-blue color. Very little hair was on its neck where a mane would be, and on its back, near its shoulder, there were equally as leathery and bony bat-like wings. Maya had never seen these creatures before. What were they? Had they always been here?

She reached out her hand, carefully, and ran the tip of her fingers down its neck. It shuddered and let out a soft, echoing, almost musical sound. It sounded nothing like a horse, that was for sure. It seemed that the structure and shape of its body was where the resemblance ended. The creature turned its head and nudged Maya's arm as she stroked it. Its spiny ears perked as the sounds of running footsteps could be heard. Maya drew back from it as it stamped its foot into the ground and tossed its head.

"Maya! Maya!" a laughing, out of breath voice called her name. It wasn't Carol or Lewis. Maya walked around to stand beside the carriage, seeing Charles, Carol's younger brother, and his best friend, Astoria Greengrass, racing towards her, grinning and laughing. They skidded to a stop, both hitting the carriage with their hands outstretched as they did.

Astoria laughed and looked at him, a triumphant look in her eyes, "Hah! I beat you that time, Manchester!" The last time Maya had seen the two of them was earlier in the year before, with Astoria being a shy, short young second year. Now, she was slightly taller, and had seemed to have opened up quite a bit. She wore her hair in a ponytail, versus having it down and all in her face like last year. She turned back to Maya, "Can we ride with you and Lewis and Carol. _If_ they ever manage to get here before the feast starts!" On the last sentence, she and Charles exchanged looks and then broke into a fit of laughter.

"Okay, you two, spill it," Maya crossed her arms, smirking down at them. She tapped her foot, "What did you two do to them?"

"Oh, _we_ didn't do anything," Charles replied through his laughter, slowly recovering himself. "I used an Unlocking Charm on Lewis's suitcase, and of course it was packed sloppily, so all of his clothes and stuff just flew everywhere! It was hilarious. That's why we were racing, though. Not only was it fun, but Carol came after us with her wand once they'd gathered all of the clothes back into the case."

"We were hoping that you could protect us," panted Astoria with one last laugh, clutching her side as she calmed her breathing. "You're good with defensive spells, right? The ones you know, anyways, which is more than we do. Hopefully if you're around, then Carol and Lewis won't try and hex us or something. And if she does, you can defend us." She chirped, and Maya looked around nervously.

"I can't make any guarantees, but I'll do my best to convince her not to hurt you two," Maya chuckled, and looked up as she saw Carol and Lewis storming forward. "Yeah, I'd get behind me, now. Otherwise, you may not make it to dinner…"

Carol, from what Maya could see of her face, was red in the cheeks and it wasn't hard to tell, simply by her posture, that she was angry. "You sneaky Slytherins!" she snapped as she came closer, though she hadn't drawn her wand. "That was totally uncalled for, you imps! If I miss dinner, or the chance to welcome new students to my house, then you two are going to wish that you'd never pulled that stunt, you slimy little —"

"Remember to watch your language, dearest sister," Charles warned her, cutting her off in a 'mature' voice, raising his index finger and shaking it like a mother scolding a child. "Remember, you Hufflepuffs are supposed to be the nice ones!"

"We're also supposed to be loyal enough to stand up for our friends when little gits like you come unlocking bags and sending clothes flying everywhere," she made a move towards Maya, and the third years hiding behind her both leapt into the carriage, snickering to themselves.

Maya rolled her eyes and climbed up into the carriage, offering to help Lewis put his bag into the carriage. "Come on, guys, we better hurry," she said, and Lewis followed her. They both looked back at Carol and she stared back at them, pursing her lips. "Carol? Don't you want to make it in time for the sorting?" Maya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not riding with those two," she gestured at Astoria and Charles, who exchanged semi-guilty expressions, "until they apologize to Lewis. I'll walk, thank you very much."

"They were just joking, Carol," Lewis pointed out, and looked over at them, then back at Carol, who's jaw was dropped in surprise. "I didn't really mind. I actually thought it was pretty funny. You have to admit, they were pretty creative in using it." He offered his hand to help her into the carriage. She shot a sharp look at her little brother and Astoria before she accepted and climbed into the carriage with her bags.

The ride to the castle was quiet, so Maya, realizing that the tip of her wand was still lit, brought it over the paper as she searched the pages of The Daily Prophet, and she ran across another blasphemous article about Harry that was written by none other than Rita Skeeter. Of course, it further pressed that Potter and Dumbledore had formed some sort of plan to kill Cedric and then have Harry claim that Voldemort (or, as he was called in the article, 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named') had returned. Of course, they hadn't counted on Maya (or the butchered version of her name that was actually in the article, Mia Kingston) witnessing Cedric's death by the hands of Harry Potter, so either Dumbledore or Potter himself used a Confundus Charm and a Memory Charm together in order to make her believe their lies.

That was the summary of the article. It was absolutely ridiculous. Horrendous that someone would write such a thing. Maya folded the paper up, trying not to look as angry as she felt as she tucked into her robe pocket. "Nox," she said aloud and the wand made a faint sound before the blueish-white light at the tip of the wand went out, and the area around them was lit now only by the lanterns hanging on the corner of the carriages, that just barely illuminated the dark, horse-like figure trotting along, pulling the carriages.

When they finally did arrive at the castle, and Maya and Lewis took their seats at the Ravenclaw table as Carol left to join the other Hufflepuffs and Charles and Astoria raced off to the Slytherin table, Maya sort of entered her own thoughts. She went over what she remembered of the article, even pulling it out and reading it over again for a few minutes. Had the article been what set Draco off? Surely he was overreacting. It wasn't that bad. Surely he — of all people — knew that Rita Skeeter's articles weren't relevant news sources, if you wanted to know what was really going on in the Wizarding world.

Lewis, who was sitting across from her, kicked her shin, jolting her out of her thoughts. She was about to snap at him and ask him what that was for, but he gestured towards Dumbledore and the teachers and Maya heard, "…our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge." There was a faint giggle from a somewhat pudgy woman, dressed in all pink, sitting next to Snape. "I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the professor good luck."

That was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Maya stared at her in disbelief. She looked like she couldn't defend herself from a fly. Especially with the stupid way she was smiling. _Perhaps I'm underestimating her? I need to give her a chance, just like I…tried to do with Moody…_ Maya shuddered. That wasn't the best comparison, but it was all her mind had right now _. I...don't think this one will end well either..._

"As usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind —" Dumbledore had gone on in his speech, but Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, still smiling, and raised up a small pink hand bag as if it was a flag or banner to get the headmaster's attention. The whole hall was silent, and even the other professors stared at her in a funny way.

The new teacher took Dumbledore's silence as permission to stand up and speak. She stood from her chair and walked around the table, out over to the podium Dumbledore was standing on, and still smiling that stupid, almost fake smile, she began to talk, "Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." Professor Umbridge looked away from Dumbledore, addressing the students in the hall, "And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me. I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends."

Maya rolled her eyes and looked over at Lewis, "I'm deciding now," she said to him, making sure that he knew by her tone that she was serious. "I hate her." She made sure that her tone was quiet enough that she wouldn't be overheard by the professor. However, at the same time as she had said that to Lewis, the Weasley twins over at the Gryffindor table had both said 'that's likely' at the professor's comment about them all being 'very good friends', loud enough for Professor Umbridge to hear. Maya smirked as her smile faded just the tiniest bit.

"The Ministry of Magic," she continued after her ego recovered from the twin's comment, "has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of _vital_ importance." Professor Umbridge began to pace along the edge of the stage-like platform where the professors' table sat, "Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school —" she paused and turned to Dumbledore expectantly, giving a little nod. He quickly put on a smile and nodded in return. A sign that he was flattered. Or at least pretending to be flattered.

Again, she continued, "— progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved," Umbridge told them, "perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." She lowered her voice to a whisper as she said 'prohibited' and then gave a small giggle, her smile widening to a toothy grin as she looked from table to table at the children and then returned to her seat.

"What does she think she's supposed to be doing here, exactly? Doesn't sound like she has anything of value to teach us," Lewis said to Maya quietly as Dumbledore and the students gave rather forced and half-hearted applause. "It sounds like she's trying to take over Hogwarts…and the Ministry of Magic? I don't think that the Ministry is allowed, or at least they aren't supposed to really interfere at Hogwarts." Maya looked at her plate in thought, but said nothing, only nodding in agreement.

Dinner was finished within a few minutes, and Maya slipped away from the Ravenclaws being led back to the dormitory from the Great Hall and went to confront Draco, telling him to stop believing everything he reads written by Rita Skeeter and return his newspaper. She couldn't manage to get his attention, so she followed them until she managed to break through the crowd and get right behind Draco. Nobody seemed to notice her.

She went to tap him on the shoulder, but the conversation going on between him and Pansy caught her attention. "Just drop it, will you Pansy?" Draco half-snapped at his dark-haired fellow Slytherin.

"I just want to know if you're going to take your father's advice. What you mentioned on the train," Pansy replied, looking at her feet. "If you want everything to work out right, then you need to dump the Mudblood sooner rather than later. Surely you grew out of that school crush by now, Draco? Your father obviously thinks it's the best way to go, and I agree. Face it, Draco, it won't last. Once she finds out —" she brushed her fingers along Draco's hand, about to interlock her fingers with his.

"Finds out _what_ , Parkinson?" Maya had stopped walking and spoke up, crossing her arms. Draco and Pansy both stopped, whirling around, wearing similar shocked expressions.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Pansy demanded, her face turning a slight red. Was she embarrassed. Draco said nothing, but she could see that he was obviously annoyed or agitated by something. "Shouldn't you be up in the clouds with your fellow swots, studying for the end of year exams before they've even come close to starting? Isn't that all you Ravenclaws do?"

"Shouldn't you be lurking in your dungeon by now, brewing a Draught of Living Death potion or practicing all three of your unforgivable curses? Isn't that all you Slytherins do?" Maya retorted, and Pansy gave a shocked gasp and clenched her fist. She knew that sinking down to Pansy's level was immature and rather unintelligent, considering Pansy's short-temper, but the look on her face was completely worth it. Pansy went for her wand, and Maya quickly said, "No magic in the halls, remember? You're a prefect, now, it's time to act like one."

Draco stepped between the two of them, snapping at Pansy, "Back off, Pansy! Put your wand away and beat it. Take the others back to the Common Room, _now_." Maya had forgotten that the other Slytherins were following their prefects back to their house. A few first years murmured that they wanted to see a big duel between Pansy and Maya, whereas Astoria and Charles quickly and quietly told them to hush and that it was none of their business.

Pansy hesitated, but obviously wanted to please Draco and not get in trouble or look bad in front of the rest of her House. "This isn't over, Mudblood," she spat as she began to back away and put her wand back in her pocket. "I'd keep on guard if I were you, Kensington." And with that, she spun on her heels, marching off, calling over her shoulder, "Slytherin, follow me! This way!"

Draco turned his steely gaze onto Maya. "What's gotten into you? Following me all the way down here, picking a fight with Pansy, and what happened to your stuttering whenever you stuck up for yourself? When did you become so good with comebacks?" He was still furious, but the question made Maya chuckle. He always seemed overlooked the obvious.

Maya pointed at the house crest on her robes, "Ravenclaw, remember? One of our values and traits is wit? 'Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure' and all that? Honestly, how do you always seem to forget." She tried to remember that she was angry with him, but most of the anger was towards Pansy for talking the way she was to him. "You have some explaining to do yourself."

"It's none of your business," he snapped, and Maya straightened up, sucking in a sharp breath. Draco tensed as if he was expecting her to fight him or something. "Just do what you came here to do and leave, alright? Before Filch catches you out of bed or something."

"Very well," she pulled the newspaper from her pocket and slapped it against his chest. He winced and grabbed it as she pulled her hand away, letting go of it. "That's yours, I believe? I just came to tell you that I did read it for myself, and that Rita Skeeter spreads nothing but lies," Maya told him and she crossed her arms. "I mean, _honestly_ , Draco. Mia Kingston? Obviously that should have set off some warning bells?" He stared back at her and she sighed and shook her head, "Evidently not. Goodnight, Draco. Hope you and Pansy enjoy your first night as prefects."

She didn't wait for his reply and marched on her way back towards Ravenclaw Tower. Maya managed to catch up to them at a full sprint, just as they reached the spiral staircase. Nobody seemed to have realized that she had been missing for any amount of time. Not even Lewis questioned it.

Maya thought that she had found a more dramatic approach to starting the new year off, and she remembered the little spat with both Draco and Pansy. Pansy was always in an argument with someone, so they weren't destined to make friends that year, but Draco was growing more and more cold. She thought, as cliche as it sounded, that he was starting to change. But this year, he seemed to be going backwards.

Perhaps they just needed a break from each other. They'd be fine later. Surely that was the answer. Draco would get over it, so would she. But he still had to explain what Pansy meant, and why she was about to hold his hand. Furthermore why he let her. Maya's thoughts went in a circle similar to this as she began to fall asleep. Eventually, the thoughts faded and she was finally asleep.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight (Year Five): Library Chat

"I really wish that they'd all leave me alone," Maya muttered to Lewis at breakfast, having a hard time eating without people staring at her and whispering and giving her sympathetic looks. Even her former, bitter roommates, Samantha and Amelia, had started being kinder and offering to help her with stuff. She had gotten up in the middle of the night and slept in the common room because they kept waking her up every time she made a sound in her sleep, asking her if nightmares were bothering her. "I said good morning to the Weasley girl this morning and Amelia snapped at her, out of nowhere, and called her a 'Potter lover'. The Gryffindors have been glaring at me ever since then. Especially the Weasley family and Potter and Hermione. Actually, the only one who seems neutral over there are the Thomas boy and Finnegan..."

Lewis took a bite of toast and looked somewhat thoughtful, "Maybe it's just a coincidence? Even if it wasn't, you really have to understand that The Daily Prophet is using you to make him and Dumbledore look bad. You're not going to be the most popular student with the Gryffindors, just like Potter isn't popular with the rest of Hogwarts."

The explanation made sense, but she wished that everyone would just leave her alone. "The Gryffindors hate me, my boyfriend has Pansy pining after him and is acting more like a jerk than usual, and people who used to hate me in our own house have suddenly decided that they love me, and our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is even more incompetent than the one we had in second year, and I already hate her more than the one we had last year," Maya sighed, stirring her oatmeal half-heartedly. "Okay, maybe I'm being a bit whiny, but this year sounds like it's going amazingly so far…"

"I'm sure thing's will look up for you soon enough," Lewis told her. He sighed and checked his watch before grabbing his books off of his table. "I have to head to Herbology class. I don't know why that's my first one. I'll catch up with you and Carol later, alright?" He said and Maya nodded, murmuring a 'sure' in response as he stood up from his seat and left the Great Hall.

Maya continued to stir her now cold breakfast. Eventually she stood up and decided to go to the Library to think. It was quiet, and she definitely had enough time before her first class. A good break from not only her own House, but also from the other students determined to either glare at her or 'protect' her. Except for the Slytherins. Granted, Pansy and the more vocal members from the same year as Maya hated her as much as many of the Gryffindors had started to, if not for the sole reason of her relationship with Draco. She guessed that their had to be more to it than just that, though she figured that was most likely Pansy's reason and Potter's trio's reason.

She made it to the library in just a few minutes, and picked a random book off the shelf, taking a seat at one of the tables and opening it up. Maya managed to get halfway into the book before it was time for her to leave and she was forced to put it down. Classes went by normally. Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, and then came Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Maya arrived in class and took the empty seat in the back at one of the desks, where Draco was, just before Pansy could sit down, though she had only tried when she had spotted Maya. Pouting, Pansy sat down, arms crossed, and scowled at Maya. "Mudblood…" she snarled in a quiet voice and Maya shot her a warning glare and gestured to Draco, who was leaning under his desk to fetch a quill he had dropped. The Slytherin prefect's scowl deepened and she turned away as Draco sat up.

He opened his mouth to say something, but what came out was, "When did you get there?"

"Good morning to you, too, love," Maya smirked, setting some parchment on the desk in front of her, as well as he book and a quill and ink on the desk as well, in case they were expected to write anything. "I got here just a minute ago, if it's so important that you know. Is Professor Umbridge here yet? I figured she wouldn't want to be late to torture her new students."

Draco sighed and slowly weaved his quill pin through his fingers, bored, "No, she's not here yet." He looked up as one of the Patil twins' origami bird, with a spell on it, of course, began to flap overhead, around the classroom. Draco, resting his head in the palm of his hand, didn't join in to Crabbe and Goyle's loud laughter as they flicked a small stone at the paper bird. He chuckled, but he actually looked as if he hadn't got much sleep.

"Did you sleep alright, Draco?" Maya asked him, resting a hand on his arm and lowering her voice. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head towards her slightly so he was looking right at her rather than out of the corner of his eye. "You just look tired, that's all. And you were acting odd last night, so, I was just wondering."

"I had an argument with Pansy about you. Or rather, how she acted towards you," he replied and stretched out his back. He was talking like he hadn't been a total jerk the night before. Well, if he was okay to forget about it, then Maya was, too. "Had me up half the night. Fun thing about being a prefect, I've learned. We get to enforce the rules, and don't get punished if we break them."

"Draco —" Maya started to scold him playfully as a smile crept onto his lips, but she was cut off by a faint _poof_ sound as the Patil twin's bird burst to flames and fell to the desk, landing in front of its creator.

"Good morning, children," a high pitched, calm voice said from the back of the classroom, by the door. The entire class turned around, where they saw a pudgy woman dressed in pink, her eyes glinting and a unconvincing smile plastered to her face. Professor Umbridge had finally arrived. She stood there for a moment, lowering her wand and blinking innocently before she began to walk down the isles. She pointed her wand at the black board as she walked and the sound of chalk writing could be heard as she spoke, "Ordinary Wizarding Levels examinations. O-W-Ls, more commonly known as O.W.L.s," she spun around as she reached the front of the classroom and faced the students. "Study hard, and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so and the consequences may be —" she shrugged her shoulders, her fake-kind smile widening, "— severe."

She aimed her wand at the tall stack of books she had and they floated off the desk, going down the isles, passing one to each desk. Most people began to pick it up as soon as it landed and flip through the pages. "Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven," Umbridge was saying as the books landed on desks. Maya examined hers suspiciously. On top of the one they had bought at Flourish and Blotts, now they had Dark Arts Defense: Basics for Beginners. She wrinkled her nose as Umbridge continued. "But, you'll be pleased to know from now on you'll be following a carefully structured, Ministry approved course of defensive magic," she looked over at Granger, who had raised her hand. "Yes?"

Granger dropped her hand and looked at the book and back to Umbridge, "There's nothing in here about using defensive spells." Maya flipped through it. She noticed that too.

"Using spells?" Umbridge gave a high-pitched laugh as if Granger had just told a joke. "Well, I can't imagine why you would _need_ to use spells in my classroom."

Maya turned to Draco and whispered, "Well, you'd think that since ' _defense_ ' is in the title of the class, then we'd be using defensive spells. Did she not read her job description or something?" Draco smirked, but made no other indication he was amused or anything. Carol, who was sitting in front of them, heard her and stifled a chuckle.

Weasley had asked Umbridge something about not using magic, and Umbridge explained, "You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk free way."

"What use is _that_?" Potter demanded, closing his book and setting it on his desk. "If we're gonna be attacked it won't be risk free!"

Umbridge glared at him and then whirled around, turning her back on him, "Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class!" She didn't bother addressing anything Potter had said, jumping straight to scolding him. The professor was clearly annoyed, but when she turned around a moment later, she had that same smile plastered to her face, "It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge would be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which, is what school is all about."

"And how is theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" Potter challenged, sounding more and more angry as he kept talking, gesturing to the window as he said 'out there'.

"There is nothing out there, dear," Professor Umbridge lowered her voice, trying to sound sweet. "Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourself?" It was a rhetorical question. Of course, Potter felt the need to answer it.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe —" there was a pause as if he was considering what to say and he finally said, "— Lord Voldemort." The classroom went silent, a few whispers here and there. Maya saw Draco tense beside her, sucking in a sharp breath. She placed a hand on his, but he shook his head and yanked his hand away, glaring at her. He rested his head in his head in his hand again, as if nothing happened.

Umbridge held out both of her hands in front of her, as if she was trying to motion them to settle down. She lowered her voice, "Let me make this quite plain." Professor Umbridge began to walk away from her desk. She was still trying to smile, but there was a look of panic or fear. Worry, perhaps was a better word to describe it. "You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a _lie_."

"It's not a lie!" Potter snapped. "I saw him — I fought him —"

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" Umbridge yelled, turning away again and marching back to the front of the classroom. If she was going to do that constantly, why bother leaving the classroom? Maya wondered.

"So according to you Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord!?" Potter raised his voice and when Umbridge turned around, Maya swore she saw her eye twitch out of annoyance.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," Umbridge snapped.

"It was murder!" Potter yelled at her. Maya flinched. She didn't want to be reminded, and by the looks of things, neither did anyone else in the classroom. "Voldemort killed him, you must know that —"

"ENOUGH!" Umbridge screeched at him, and at last he stopped yelling and Umbridge's stupid smile had faded. Several people were quite startled by the yell she let out, and others were shocked. "Enough," she repeated, speaking softly once more. "See me later, Mr. Potter, in my office." She giggled again and the fake smile was back. Maya looked over and saw Draco smirking. She traced a hand along the book awkwardly, not really wanting to open it after Umbridge's argument with Potter.

After class had ended, Maya gathered up her books and she and Draco followed the other students out of the classroom. "Looks like we finally have a teacher that isn't afraid to punish Saint Potter," Draco smirked as they began the walk down the staircase that led up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "Got what he deserved, if you ask me."

"Oh, honestly, Draco!" Maya shook her head, rolling her eyes as well. She seemed to do that a lot at this school. "There hasn't been a teacher that's ever been afraid of punishing him. It's just that he never…really does anything worth punishing?" Draco raised an eyebrow, and she said defensively, "Okay, even I'll admit that sounded stupid."

"And I thought you Ravenclaws were supposed to be smart and use big words."

"Hmm, maybe being around idiots compromises my thinking skills," Maya said, only half-joking. It was a valid possibility. Maybe. She'd have to think it over and work out some problems, but still a good theory in the makings.

* * *

"Where are you?" Maya ducked underneath her bed and felt around underneath. No sight of her anywhere. "Come on, Aspen, you've been cooped up all day. Now I'm giving you a chance to stretch your legs. Why won't you take it, wherever you are?" She felt something land on her back and heard a faint chittering noise. With a frustrated sigh, she sat up and felt tiny claws rake down her back and an indignant squeal. Aspen bounced out from behind her and into Maya's lap, shaking herself to rid her fur of dust. "About time you showed up. I was about to offer you an opportunity to terrorize Draco."

Aspen's ears perked and her nose twitched. Maya scooped her up and headed out of her dormitory and out of Ravenclaw tower, to the library, straightening the leather collar the pine marten wore. Aspen was only the size of a cat, perhaps a bit smaller, and it made her some-what easy to carry places. Fortunate for Maya, who always liked to have her close by. Of course, back in their first year, Draco had given her a lead and collar to use. Which, Maya did indeed use it when she went to places like the library. Usually, she smuggled her inside, since Madam Pince frowned upon animals near the books. Not that Maya actually let her on the books, though.

However, today, when she reached the Library doors to meet Carol for studying, she set Aspen onto the ground and gave her a little nudge, "Go on, girl, I have to study. And please don't vanish on me. You know how much I hate being in the Common Room alone." Aspen tilted her head to one side and then scurried off, dodging past and underneath several students in the corridor.

Maya chuckled and opened the door to the library, stepping inside. She was to meet Carol here for some studying before it was time for dinner. Upon entering the library, she found that — to no surprise — it was calm and quiet. Absolutely perfect. Maya took a deep breath, smelling the books and parchment. She walked past a few of the sections before she found Carol at the end of the aisle, reading a thin book.

She carefully dodged two Slytherins and a Hufflepuff and made her way over to Carol. Maya scanned the shelves and picked out two or three books, setting them on the table as she sat down. Carol looked up, and smiled, "About time you showed up. What took you so long?"

"Aspen," Maya frowned as she opened up a Charms book and set it out on the desk. "She's been cooped up all day and I was going to get her to let her outside for a walk, but she decided she'd do a little disappearing act. Took me about twenty minutes to find her!" She pulled a loose clump of fur off of her robe's sleeve. "And she's still shedding? Oh, good grief. You'd think that once the weather started to get cooler, then she'd stop…"

The conversation went on for a short while longer, but eventually, Carol said that she wanted to stop by her Common Room before she went to supper, so she left and Maya was left to study in an almost empty library. Maya had no problem with turning up late for dinner, as she wasn't that hungry. So she stayed and read a little, even after all the other students had hurried off to dinner.

It wasn't until Madam Pince showed up and told her that it was time to leave that Maya moved from her spot. She carefully closed the books and under Madam Pince's supervision, returned them to their proper place on the shelves, gathering up her belongings after that and making her way to the Great Hall. It took her a while, but at last she found herself a seat at the Ravenclaw table.

Dinner started not long after that, although Maya had brought a book to the table and was more concerned with that than she was with her actual meal. She ate some mashed potatoes, but beyond that, nothing much. Pushing the chattering out of her mind, she let herself get lost in _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5_. Wasn't necessarily lost, actually, just incredibly focused.

So focused, that she jumped in surprise when a small piece of parchment, folded to look like a bird of some sorts — a swan, possibly — landed right in her lap. Maya looked around for whoever had sent it her way. It was likely someone from her table, but she examined it. Written on the wing of it, it read: _Kensington - **Important**_.

Sighing in mild annoyance, mostly in having her reading interrupted and somewhat upset that whoever folded the lovely bird was perfectly content to let her ruin their work. Unfolding it so she could read what was scrawled onto it. Of course, she could now easily recognize the writing from Draco. Of course he had been the one to interrupt her reading. Maya looked up and over towards the Slytherin table. Draco was currently in conversation with Blaise Zabini, but he glanced her way and part of a smirk was visible from the angle he was at.

 _Shaking her head, she read the note that he had written._

 _Meet me near the Potions classroom after dark, around 9:00 or 10:00 if you can._  
 _Don't worry, I've got a cover story if we get caught._

 _-Draco_  
 _P.S. Leave that stupid ferret-thing in your dormitory. I hate it._

Maya rolled her eyes and folded the paper back to the way it was, back into a swan, following what she had done to unfold it. Then she set it in front of her and picked her book back up. Draco glanced her way again and she gave him a thumbs up, letting him know that she'd try her best, though he'd probably translate it as she was definitely, positively going to make it.

After dinner ended, Maya followed her House out of the Great Hall, down a few corridors, up flights of stairs, all the way to the spiral staircase that led to their common room. Several first years confidently raced to the top of the staircase up to the door. Maya wasn't far behind, wanting to keep an eye on them, since the prefects were a little further behind.

The bronze, eagle door knocker began to speak, and Maya had a feeling that the first years may end up stumped. Then again they could solve it quickly. Maya waited patiently as the others caught up to them. The eagle asked, "No sooner spoken than broken. What is it?" Maya smiled a bit as the eleven-year-olds tried their hardest to answer it. One by one, they lost their chance to answer. One of them answered 'rope' another answered 'a vow' (which made a whole lot more sense than the answer 'rope' and was closer to the actual answer), but no matter how many times they adjusted their answer or tried various words, the door refused to open.

Maya sighed and stepped forward to the door, the first years stepping out of her way, "I believe that the correct answer is 'silence', am I correct?" The door knocker congratulated her and opened the door for her to enter. The first years eagerly followed as she led the way into the blue-decorated common room, begging her to tell them how she did it. Maya turned around, tired of their pestering, looking down at them and explaining gently and quietly as their chattering house-mates filed into the room and up to their dorms, "It's hard at first, but you have to think practically as well as impractically. Learn to balance it out. It also helpful to read some good riddle books. Actually…"

She walked over to bookcase in the reading-nook-Ravenclaw house library that was on one end of the common room. Maya knelt down to one of the lower shelves and began to trace her index finger along the book spines, before she let out a quiet 'aha!' and pulled a dusty, small old book off of it and handed it to the most mature of the group, "That there helped me quite a bit during my first two years — _Incredible Riddles to Keep the Mind Sharp_. And if you have a chance, visit some Muggle bookshops and pick up some other riddle books. Thinner and easier to get through, but still a fun read."

"Gee, thanks!" gushed the black-haired boy that she'd handed the book over to. His friends piled around him and stared at the cover of the book and back up at Maya. "Thanks again!" and with that, the boys hurried up to their dorm with the book in their hands, not waiting around for Maya to thank them. She shook her head and sighed, picking a different book off of the shelf and taking a seat in a chair by the window.

After at least an hour or two, Maya checked her watch. 9:15. She had planned to meet Draco at 9:30, between the two times he had listed. She snuck up to her dormitory after she placed the book on an end table in the common room. Maya figured that she might as well look like she had actually gotten ready for bed, just in case Filch caught her. She could claim that she was sleepwalking. She knew Luna Lovegood did it often, and she had never been caught, at least not that Maya knew of.

Once she had gotten into her idea of pajamas — blue plaid pajama pants, a white tank top, plus her grandfather's old aviator jacket (which she had stolen from him a while back) in case it was cold — she still had a few minutes to get down by the Potions classroom. She grabbed her pair of boots that she wore when she wasn't off to classes or when it was snowing out, and carefully crept out of her dorm and back to the common room. Maya slipped the boots on and opened the door, quietly slipping through it and starting her way down the staircase.

She remembered then that Aspen was still roaming the grounds. Either that, or she was hiding away in the dorm or common room. Either way, if she showed up then Maya could have a bit of revenge for Draco being a jerk, although him arguing with Pansy was alright, too.

Maya had to run, but she made it outside the Potions classroom at 9:45. Fifteen minutes later than she wanted to be, but still within the time frame. Now where was Draco? She paced around a bit, looking for him, pausing and tapping her foot impatiently. Draco showed up at 10:00, strolling along casually. Maya had been startled to hear footsteps, but relaxed when she saw him. She walked up to him, calming her breathing, she said, "Took you long enough. I was giving you five more minutes and then I was planning on going back."

"Sorry, love," he apologized, kissing her forehead softly, wrapping his arms around her. "Pansy was holding me up. We're supposed to be patrolling the corridors and yet she insists on never leaving my side." Draco sounded frustrated. Maya rested her head on his chest. He was warm, which was very comforting considering how cold it was in the dungeon. He went on to finish his short story about getting rid of Pansy, "I had to tell her that if we split up then we'd be done faster and her and I could spend more time talking." He made a disgusted look.

"She _does_ know that you and I are dating, right?" Maya asked, smirking slightly. Draco nodded and she shook her head. "Probably doesn't care. Doesn't matter much, though," she bit her lower lip. "I trust _you_ to not be disloyal, but I don't trust Pansy to respect that. Stay alert, alright? I don't want her slipping you a love potion or something ridiculous like that."

Draco leaned closer to her, "Getting to be a bit paranoid, now, are you?" He pulled away and looked around for anybody, then grabbed her hand, "Follow me." Maya did as he asked of her, although she was perhaps a bit curious and suspicious. "The library," he explained, looking back at her and seeing a mildly bewildered look. "It's quiet and there's less risk of getting caught, so we can talk, among other things, undisturbed."

"Hmm, maybe I'd've been better off staying back in Ravenclaw Tower," Maya commented, half-joking, stifling a laugh as he gave her the strangest look, like he was torn between being offended and being amused. Not that he didn't make similar faces all the time, but the lighting made it look somewhat more amusing. When they reached the library, both of them carefully and quietly stepped inside, closing the door behind them.

The library was only barely lit up by the moonlight. There was just enough so that they could see each other clearly without a lantern. If they wanted some late night studying done, then it was out of the question, although neither of them had that in mind. Draco led her to one of the tables by the window so that they could see each other better. "There," he said as they settled into the seats he had pulled together, "now we can talk in peace and quiet."

Maya looked out the window, out at what she could see of the Black Lake, the moon and stars reflected on its surface. "It's beautiful, Draco," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Now, if only we weren't breaking the rules by admiring it this late. It really is a shame."

"Yes, but that's one of the nice things about being a prefect, you know," he whispered, kissing her just under her ear. "Even if _you're_ not one, _I_ am, and I have to enforce the rules — doesn't mean I'm always going to follow them." Maya pulled away as he began to kiss down her jawline and crossed her arms, tilting her head curiously.

"When did you become so eager, Draco Malfoy? Not only to break the rules, but also to snog me?" She asked, again, finding it somewhat amusing. Or maybe she needed sleep. That could have contributed to the sudden hilarity of her boyfriend's actions. Not surprising or amusing, though, was his need to brag about being a prefect and use that to impress her. Did that stop him? No, but she would probably find a way to scold him for it later.

Draco half-pouted when she pulled away, "You're the one who was so upset that we hardly saw each other over the summer, so I thought that —" he leaned in again, and this time pressed a kiss to her lips, "— we could catch up some more?"

"No offense intended, Draco, as I do love you, but —" she held back another chuckle and gestured to their surroundings, "— I'm not exactly into kissing in a library. Past curfew. At ten o' clock in the middle of the night. When I'm almost half asleep." Maya caught a mischievous glint in his eyes and gave him a light shove, "Don't even try it, Malfoy," she warned playfully.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, Kensington," Draco said innocently and Maya nodded in a 'oh, right, yeah, I believe you' kind of way. For the next few minutes there was silence. Not an awkward silence, but a relaxing one as they left each other to their own thoughts for a short while. It was Maya who broke the silence first.

She straightened up and adjusted in her seat, "Why have you been so distant lately, Draco? Ever since summer time. And you didn't want me visiting you over the summer. I know you had a perfect explanation, but that's the thing..." Maya turned to look him in the eyes, but he remained fixed on the window, "…everything seemed to…rehearsed. And I asked my grandparents — who are veterinarians for all sorts of animals, avian included — and influenza hasn't been a problem this year, furthermore it isn't flue season, so your owl had to have been fine."

Draco stared ahead, almost like he didn't hear her. Maya put a hand on his shoulder and he sighed. Still looking ahead, he told her, "I had my own reasons for not writing to you. It was for your own good, though I can't expect you to understand that right now. My family has been…busy. We've had several guests visiting, that's all. You're overthinking it and trying to make something out of it when there really is nothing. It's none of your business, either." He sat up and so did Maya, moving out of the way as he put the chairs back where they were. "It's getting late. Both of us should be getting back."

Maya looked down at her watch. They'd been there a little over an hour and a half, but it didn't feel like it. She followed Draco out of the library. No sooner did they close the door behind them did they see Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, come jogging up to them. She sat with her tail curled around her paws, meeting their confused gaze with her own, intimidating and curious one.

Mr. Filch wasn't far behind, appearing a moment or two later, "Oy! You two! What're ya doing out here!?"

Without warning, Draco snatched Maya's arm, yanking her towards Filch. "Now what'd they tell you? Curfew's at ten," he snapped. "You're lucky I can only take points from my own House. Otherwise you'd really be in for it, _Ravenclaw_!" Draco leaned close as she stumbled over her words trying to ask what he was doing, "Just play along, alright?" Raising his voice, he said to Filch, "I caught this one wandering around the dungeons. I tried to approach her and she ran all the way to the library —" he tightened his grip and gave her a shake, "— thought that you could hide, did you? Guess you're not as clever as your House always brags about being, now, are you?"

Filch narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and Maya chuckled nervously, giving an awkward little wave. He scowled and nodded, "Make sure she gets back to her House," he ordered Draco, "and I'll inform Professor Flitwick of her actions." Maya crossed her arms indignantly as she watched him turn away, not liking that now she had to answer to her Head of House because of the lie. Thank goodness that Filch couldn't dock House points or Maya'd be in a heap of trouble. Draco offered an apologetic smile, but then turned and shoved her along the corridor, back to being angry.

After they were sure that Filch was out of earshot and out of sight, Draco let her go. "Pansy's probably waiting for me," he said, shifting his weight. He seemed eager to leave. "I should go. So should you, before anybody else catches you. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, he was off. Maya watched him leave before she departed for her own House.

She got back inside unnoticed, but ended up slipping her boots off and laying on the couch in the common room, staring up at the ceiling, painted to look like the night sky. What had Draco meant? For her own good, she wouldn't understand, it wasn't any of her business. Maybe he was right about the last one, but something was off about how he had been acting.


	29. Chapter 29

Author's Note:

 _Okay, some of the incidents mentioned in this chapter were from what I could find on the wiki on the book. I wanted to make this year a bit of a balance between movie and book, but I'm still reading Goblet of Fire and didn't want to spoil the book for OOTP too much. Bit silly, though, now that I think about it._  
 _Not the longest chapter in the whole series, but I had some fun writing it. Nothing super plot relevant, really, but still fun._  
 _Anyways, without further ado, I present the fastest update I've had in a while!_

*The Latin words/phrase I used for the Slytherin password translates to: Trust yourself first*

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine (Year Five): Mingling With Serpents

Things were going well this year, save for the horrible woman teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Maya had half a mind to start referring to her as 'You-Know-Who' although with the current situation being what it was and all the 'occasional' whispers about Voldemort, she came to the conclusion that referring to Umbridge as 'You-Know-Who' was a very bad idea.

Draco seemed to be making an extra effort to be rude during classes. During Care of Magical Creatures, he had been bad mouthing Hagrid, and with Hagrid not being present — not that that would have changed how unacceptable his behavior was — Maya had scolded him for it, which shut him up. Draco had also been trying to be as romantic (if Maya would call it that) as he possibly could, looking for every opportunity to kiss or hug Maya. While she liked the attention, she still was confused by it. Lewis and Carol seemed as confused, but mostly they seemed bothered by it.

Potter had been continuing his detentions with Umbridge, looking quite upset over at the Gryffindor table. An odd looking bunch of scabs were forming on his left hand, although Maya was unsure where he was getting those. It seemed to be connected with one of two things. Either he was incredibly clumsy and kept falling and scraping his hand or it was a part of his punishment from Umbridge, though the latter option seemed the less far fetched. Not that Maya really took much notice of what went on in Potter's life, but if their own teacher was willing to punish students like that, then it meant it was everyone's potential problem, not just Potter's. So why didn't he say something?

"Did you hear anything I just said to you, Maya?" she was snapped out of her thoughts by Lewis snapping his fingers in front of her face. A chilly, crisp breeze blew through the courtyard and Maya adjusted herself so she sat more comfortably on the stone bench with her books. She blinked at Lewis quizzically and he sighed, "Not a word?"

Maya shook her head, "No, I was…off somewhere else," she turned herself slightly so she was facing him, giving him her full and undivided attention, "I'm sorry, Lewis, but I won't drift off again. What is it you were saying?"

Lewis sighed and he was nervously drumming his fingers on his book. "Okay, fine," he sounded hesitant, but he continued regardless. "I was just asking if things were alright between you and Malfoy. Has he hurt you or argued with you recently?"

She narrowed her eyes, not letting her surprise show. In a deadpan tone, she replied, "No, he hasn't. Draco's been a perfect gentlemen. If anything, he's become more affectionate than ever. Why do you ask?"

"His recent behavior. I just don't like it," Lewis told her bluntly. He stopped drumming his fingers and gave another sigh. "I don't think you can trust him. He's been having moods." Maya tilted her head to one side, slightly confused, and Lewis scoffed, "Oh, surely you've noticed! He'll be the worse git ever in class and then the next minute he's all over you, teasing, flirting, _snogging_. You name it, look over at the two of you, and he's probably doing it! Then he's back at it, being a foul git, once again."

"If you're suggesting that Draco's abusive or something —" Maya started, suspicious, and Lewis quickly cut her off.

"Not at all, though I wouldn't put it past him. But what I'm getting at is…well, you really need to be careful around him. In fact, if I were you…well, I think you should…well, end your relationship with him," Lewis told her. Maya never felt more shocked in her life. One of her own best friends, telling her she should break up with her boyfriend. "Look, Maya, he's no good! You know that. It's just gotten worse as the years have gone on. It would be better if you were to end it before he can hurt you."

"Lewis Hampton!" Maya slammed her book shut and stood up, staring down at him, furious. "I cannot believe those words just came out of your mouth! Argh! You know what, Lewis, the only person who's no good is you." She started to leave and Lewis stepped in front of her. Maya groaned in frustration. "You try and dictate everything I can and can't do, Lewis. You're stepping over a line, here, trying to tell me I should break up with someone. I love him, okay, and if you can't accept that, then…maybe you're not as good a friend as I thought you were."

Lewis yelled after her, "The more you spend time with him the shorter your temper gets! You know what, fine! Don't come crawling back to me when you finally realize I was right all along!"

* * *

"Any objections to me joining your table?" Maya asked Draco, his gang, and Charles and Astoria. Ever since her argument with Lewis, it was uncomfortable sitting at the Ravenclaw table and she spent as little time at either the table or even in her own Common Room, if she had to, either sitting by herself in silence with Aspen and a book or socializing with Luna Lovegood, although mostly Luna did the socializing. Carol had tried — once or twice a day, for the first few days after the argument — to try and get the two to reconcile, but after failed attempt after failed attempt, she soon gave up and spent her time with Lewis instead. So now here Maya was, at breakfast, at the Slytherins' table.

They had room for her, of course, but Pansy snapped, "Sod off, Kensington. Sit with your own House, or maybe with those stupid Hufflepuffs. Oh, wait, I forgot — your only friends disowned you. Such a shame. Guess you'll have to skip breakfast, if you've got no place to sit and eat."

Maya didn't say anything as those that heard — with the exception of Charles, Astoria, and Draco — laughed at Pansy's words. Astoria slid over to make room for her, moving her bowl and glass with her. "News travels fast in the school, _unfortunately_..." she reminded Maya with a glance at Pansy, then gesturing to the empty space between herself and Charles. "You're welcome to sit there, if you'd like."

"Thank you, Astoria, that's very kind of you..." Maya nodded, sitting down. A few shocked murmurs came from a few of the nearby Slytherins who had watched her sit down. Draco hissed something under his breath, giving a swift kick to Goyle's shin as the latter made a comment to Blaise that insulted Astoria and Maya. There was silence at the table for a short while, and most were either staring and/or glaring at her and others stared awkwardly at their food or hands or lap. Draco was among those staring at his lap. "Uh…Astoria, what classes have you chosen for your third year?" Maya broke the silence with an attempt at conversation.

Astoria swallowed and dabbed her lips with her napkin before replying, "Oh, I chose Study of Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies. I really find Muggle Studies to be quite fascinating. Is it true that Muggles love that box they look at…a television, I believe it's called?"

"Er…yes, yes it is," Maya replied, stirring her oatmeal. "It's actually rather entertaining, but the only problem is that it can be quite addictive. Some muggles spend hours of their days watching movies and shows and whatnot." She looked over to Charles, "What classes are you taking this year, Charles?"

"Oh, Care of Magical Creatures, Study of Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy…interesting subjects, all three of them. Personally, I could do without Arithmancy, but none of the others seemed interesting to me..." Charles replied, and Maya nodded and she, Charles, and Astoria talked for the rest of breakfast. Draco didn't join in, instead he just wore a look that was a mix between annoyed and embarrassed.

From that day on, Maya spent her time with Draco and the other Slytherins. Actually, Charles and Astoria were those she spent the most time with, outside of classes and whatnot. In some way, they had taken place of Lewis and Carol, now that those two gave her strange looks whenever they saw her. Maya had stopped sitting with her own House, much to the annoyance of the Ravenclaw prefects.

She made the mistake of spending time in her Common Room one afternoon, when Padma Patil, the Ravenclaw prefect, scolded her for several minutes, telling her that she shouldn't be sitting at another House's table. Maya had got up, frustrated, and left. From then on, she only returned to her House when it was absolutely necessary, such as for curfew, and then — much to the annoyance of her former friend and fellow Ravenclaws — she would keep herself locked away in her dormitory, reading with Aspen.

Time spent after classes was either spent on the grounds or in the library, and with the weather growing colder, it was usually the library. Draco, one cold Saturday afternoon, approached Maya in the library. "I had a feeling you'd be here," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, but before she could even greet her, he locked arms with her and pulled her from her seat. "I have something to show you. Probably a bit more comfortable than sitting in a tree or a library chair."

"What do you mean?" Maya barely managed to gather up her belongings from the table before Draco began to pull her out of the library. She held her scarf, gloves, and homework close to her in a pile that continued to try and slip from her hands down to the floor. Maya had to nudge it back up and hold it to her chest, having difficulties keeping her parchment from getting crumpled or torn. "Draco, where are we going?" she asked him after several minutes of walking down corridors. It was the way to the dungeons.

Draco slowed his pace, but kept their arms interlocked, "The dungeons. Where do you think?"

"Okay, better question —" she huffed in frustration, using his pause to get a better handle on her things, "— _why_ are we going there?"

"I promise it's worth it. My reasoning being that it's cold outside and the library is uncomfortable, where I'm taking you, it's better for studying," he told her simply, and continued on as if that settled it. Maya, stubborn as she was, stopped abruptly, not planning on moving until she got a better answer. With Draco's arm still hooked around her, he stumbled back awkwardly when he tried to go forward after she'd stopped. "What?"

"It's cold outside so you bring me to the dungeon where it's even colder?" Maya shivered, pulling her scarf around her neck and rubbing her hands together. "Draco, I'd prefer to know why we're down here?" He didn't answer her and instead pulled her down a hall and up to a stone wall.

"There, we're here, Kensington, are you happy now?"

"A stone wall? We're here for a wall? In case you didn't notice, there are tons of these everywhere in the school. What makes this one so special?"

Draco rolled his eyes and then spoke something in Latin, " _Confidis te ipsum primis_ ," and a door slowly revealed itself. This had to have been the door to the Slytherin common room. Maya's eyes widened in surprise as the newly revealed door opened to allow them to step inside. "You see, I told you it'd be worth it," he smirked and let her begin the walk through the door first. "Be patient next time," he advised her in a pompous sort of way. "Being snarky will get you nowhere."

"Oh, well you're one to talk!" Maya retorted, but she was too amazed by what she saw that she didn't hear his response. "Oh, wow!" she gasped and stopped. The Slytherin common room — although she felt conflicted about being in it in the first place — was stunning, in an eery sort of way. The whole room glowed with various shades of green light, and the faint sound of water swooshing could be heard with a sort of muffled, underwater musical whispering or singing. Quills scratching on paper and the occasional page turning could also be heard.

Maya looked next to her, at Draco, hesitantly. He gave her an encouraging look, and a nudge forward as he confidently marched in, over to the couch sitting by the fireplace. He sat down and looked back at her expectantly. Maya cautiously continued. The few Slytherins that were in the common room were first years or sixth or seventh years, judging by their looks. They paid no attention to her, so she hurried along, over to Draco.

She looked up at the windows and then looked at Draco, "Slytherins have a surprisingly amazing view," she told him. "You're _underneath_ the lake. Your windows look out _into the lake_. That's amazing! Of course, we Ravenclaws get a lovely mountain view, and there's less eery whisper singing…wait, is that the merpeople making that song?"

Draco chuckled and wrapped his arm around her, "Like I said, it'd be worth it." He gave her a kiss on her cheek and she brought her legs up to sit Indian style, pulling her scarf off since it was indeed warm with the fire, and opened up her book, setting aside her quill and half-done homework. "Homework? I was hoping that you'd take your mind off of that for two minutes!" Draco whined.

"I'm not even supposed to be down here!" Maya gave an almost wry laugh. "The least you could do is let me get _some_ homework done, and then I promise that I'll give you some attention and we can hang out. Honestly, you're worse than Aspen is when I'm studying for end of year exams!" Draco pouted, but eventually warmed up to the idea of letting her do her homework for a bit. In fact, Maya remembered him making a comment that she was 'kind of cute' when she was studying. She chuckled at that, finding it a bit cheesy.

After a while, their silence was interrupted when Astoria and Charles returned. Astoria slammed a stack of large books onto the table and a few rolls of parchment clattered as well. Maya and Draco jumped and adjusted to see the scene, both equally confused. Astoria's arms were crossed as she looked at Charles. "That's _the last time_ I'm letting you borrow one of the books that I've checked out from the library! How _could_ you have taken it to the owlery of _all places_ , you complete idiot! So, of course I had to return a book covered in owl droppings and with torn pages. You're lucky that the edition is easy to replace!"

"How was I supposed to know that that big, scrawny, senile old bird would try and make a meal out of some tattered old book!" Charles snapped. The two exchanged insults and argued back and forth for a bit before eventually shaking hands and offering apologies. Maya sighed. How she wished her and Lewis could be like that.

Astoria collected the books and parchment from the table and started for the dormitory, when the books on the top of the stack fell off, bringing the rolls of parchment with it. They hit the ground with a thud and Astoria cursed under her breath as one of the books landed on her foot. Wincing, she knelt down to begin picking the books up again. Maya and Draco reached her to help before Charles did.

Draco collected the parchment and books that had scattered a bit and helped her stack them so they wouldn't fall. "There. Now be more careful, Greengrass. If you keep being clumsy like that, no one'll want to be near you for fear of being hit by a book you've dropped!"

"Thanks, Malfoy…" Astoria blushed a little, but rolled her eyes. Draco tousled her hair and gave her a light shove. Maya felt silly, but she felt a pang of jealousy. She knew that Astoria, during the second year, fancied Draco quite a bit. Obviously she'd never act on it. Even if she wasn't shy, Astoria was far too respectful and kind to try and make a move on Draco.

Maya glanced over at Charles and saw him glaring at Draco, before he opened a book and made a 'hmmph' noise before he began to read. He had to have had a thing for Astoria. It was the only thing to explain the glare at Draco and the pouting he was doing now. Draco seemed oblivious to anything that had just taken place, not noticing Astoria's bush nor Charles's pouting.

He checked his watch and moved over to the fireplace, staring down at the flames. "Dinner will be soon," he informed her as she joined him. Maya nodded, looking out at one of the windows on the wall on either side of the fireplace, looking out at the lake. It had gotten darker. "I wonder if we can skip dinner and stay here," Draco glanced up at her, and Maya rolled her eyes at him.


	30. Chapter 30

Author's Note:

 _Okay, so this update was a little later than I originally planned, but I wasn't in a very Harry Potter kind of mood and it took me a bit to get the inspiration. The first half was started a few days after the last chapter was edited, then I took a break and picked it up again, so the writing may seem like I put more effort in one place, although I edited it as best I could._

 _There's a spot where there is some mild swearing, or rather, a British swear word, if you will._

 _Other than that, enjoy._

* * *

Chapter Thirty (Year Five): Potter's Meeting

Maya awoke to the unfamiliar sounds, muffled rushing of water and a faint song-like murmuring. Due to wherever it was that she was sleeping, she kept her eyes closed and pretended to be asleep. She heard someone call Draco's name and felt someone shift out from underneath her, setting her carefully onto the couch the two were on and then greet the owner of the voice. The previous warmth that she felt vanished and Maya shivered.

"What do you want, Pansy?" Draco asked the person who had called him in a whisper. Why was Pansy there? Why was Draco there? Furthermore, why were they both on a couch? Maya kept quiet, still feeling cold. She listened carefully.

"I can't believe you let your Ravenclaw pet into _our_ common room!" Pansy snapped, lowering her voice as Draco made a 'shhh' sound. "You _never_ let a member of another house into your own common room! Now she knows our password and everything! Why are you shushing me?" Footsteps approached the couch and then a horrified gasp came from close to the couch before the steps stomped back over to Draco. "Manchester let slip that she was here, but you didn't tell me she stayed the night! Were you two snogging on that couch?"

"Get your head out of the gutter! Of course not, although it's not any of your business if we were," Draco hissed, and Maya tried to remember after dinner. She had sat with the Slytherins, and then Draco asked for help studying. Maya told him she could help him later, but he insisted. Really, they just ended up sitting on the couch, talking to one another. So much for studying, Maya thought. She decided to lay still for a while longer, not yet fully awake. In fact, she just now had opened her eyes to get a look around.

The lake was a little lighter now that it was daytime, but the faint patter of rain could be heard from the surface. The common room was still somewhat dimly lit now that the fire in the fireplace had gone out. Pansy and Draco's argument echoed throughout the room, but Maya focused mostly on the sound of water until footsteps shook her from her thoughts.

Pansy marched over, a rolled up copy of The Daily Prophet in her hand. She smacked Maya on the head and then the shoulder to get her up, in spite of Draco's protests and attempt to take the newspaper from her and stop her. Maya responded by sitting up abruptly and quickly grabbing ahold of the newspaper before Pansy could slap her with it and then yanked hard on it. Pansy squealed in surprise and let go quickly in response to the paper cut that was caused on her palm.

"That's no way to treat your guests, Parkinson…" Maya said quietly as she tossed the newspaper to the floor. She turned to Draco and he looked away, out the window. "I'll see you later today, Draco," she said and he nodded, but didn't look at her. Maya gave one final glare at Pansy and then grabbed her scarf and wand, walking to the door to leave the Slytherin common room. Just before the door closed, she heard Pansy and Draco resume their argument.

* * *

"'Educational Decree'?" Maya read off of the wall outside the great hall, where several framed papers were hung, each holding a strange new 'rule' that Umbridge was setting up. All of these had just been put up that day, although judging by the ridiculous smirk that Umbridge had on her face, it was safe to assume that there was more to come. "That's absolute rubbish!"

"Watch your language, Kensington," Draco warned, and Maya rolled her eyes at him. There was a silence before Draco finally said, "I actually agree with what she's saying. I've already written father and mother about it, asking them what they think of it — just for a second opinion, of course — but I know that they'll give full support to the Ministry." Maya stared at him in shock, tempted to smack him in the arm with her book. What he was saying was ridiculous!

"You actually agree with this?" she hissed as soon as Umbridge and Filch (who had hung the decrees) had walked out of earshot. "Like that one up there that gives them the right to punish students found in possession of a spell check quill? Or how about that one — "Boys and girls are not permitted to be within six inches of each other? You actually support that?"

"I support the ministry, and the ministry clearly thinks that these rules — however extreme — are necessary and that Hogwarts will benefit from it in some ways, and we all know how much this school could improve," Draco replied, and walked into the Great Hall before Maya could say anything in response. Maybe Lewis had been right about him the whole time. Perhaps he _was_ no good. Perhaps he was mad as well. You'd have to be in order to agree with anything Professor Umbridge had to do with.

* * *

Maya hadn't been in her Common Room all weekend, avoiding it as much as possible. But she figured that it was better than lurking in the library all day or trying to memorize all of the educational decrees. So, she found herself marching up the spiral staircase, all the way up to the door that led to the common room. She stopped and waited for the eagle to ask its question.

"What is broken every time it's spoken?" the eagle asked, and Maya thought for a moment.

After a short pause, she replied, "I believe that 'silence' is the correct answer." The eagle took a moment, but then the doors unlocked and opened to allow her access. Maya stepped through the doors, surprised to find at least half of the students from her own year and on. The prefects were there, and Lewis was there, Cho Chang and Luna Lovegood were there. Maya froze as everyone turned to look at her. "W-What's going on?"

"A House meeting," Padma Patil replied. "You're welcome to join us."

"It's a very important matter," Luna added softly.

"Only the most trusted Ravenclaws are welcome," Lewis put in, glaring at her. "That means that it's probably a good idea for you to leave, Kensington. Scurry back to your snake friends. In fact, I'm a bit surprised that you aren't busy shagging their worthless prefect right now? After all, you wouldn't want him to think that he doesn't own you."

Several gasps came from those around them, much to Maya's surprise. She clenched her fists, "Lewis, you and I both know that Malfoy and I have never done _anything_ like that before."

"Lewis, you apologize for that this instant," Padma snapped, "or I'm taking points from Ravenclaw just for the comment. She's your best friend!" Padma sighed and then went on, "Maya, you can stay if you want. Lewis," she snapped his name and turned to look at him, "I'm taking ten points from Ravenclaw for using language not only in the common room, but also to your friends. And five points will be given thanks to Maya's ability to keep her cool."

"You don't have to worry about it, Padma, it didn't bother me, really," Maya said with a sigh. "I'll be leaving, since it seems Lewis would be bothered if I were to stay." As she turned around and began to walk off, she felt someone stop her, tugging gently at her sleeve. Maya looked down at the couch and saw Luna Lovegood. "Yes?"

Luna patted the empty seat next to her. Quietly, she invited her to sit down, "You don't have to leave. Sit next to me."

Maya looked around, feeling self conscious with all the people staring at her. Clearing her throat, she nodded and did as Luna suggested. Once Padma was satisfied that nobody was going to leave or try and argue, she explained the situation. Evidently they received an invitation from Hermione Granger (although Michael Corner was invited by Ginny Weasley) to meet with Granger and Potter and Weasley at the Hog's Head Inn. Something to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts, but nothing else was said about it, requesting that it be kept quiet.

Padma said that attendance was not required, and that she just wanted to know if anybody was actually interested. Maya mumbled an agreement, saying that she was willing to hear what Potter and his friends wanted. Luna and Cho agreed, as did Lewis and a few others. Padma told them that they were to keep it a secret and were to act as inconspicuous as possible.

* * *

The trip to Hogsmeade came sooner than Maya expected, and it was when she was supposed to go with the others to Hog's Head. She didn't know what time the meeting was exactly, but was thinking of a way to ditch Astoria and Charles. Although she felt a little bad about leaving them, since she forgot that she promised that they'd see how close they could get to the Shrieking Shack, she knew that she'd still have time to spend with them before the meeting was over. She didn't understand why Carol always acted so annoyed around Charles, since Maya actually liked being around them. They were only two years younger than she was, but she liked having little siblings — or rather the closest thing she had to younger siblings. Sometimes she hated being the youngest.

Astoria and Maya had persuaded Charles to give the bookshop a chance, although he had at first stated that he didn't want to go inside, but Maya had learned that he actually liked reading. He also liked to make wooden sculptures, which he learned how to make after reading about them. Either way, he was acting a bit odd. After a short while though, Maya got him to cave after telling him about some of the books that they had.

Inside, the bookshop was warm and quiet. Only a few other students and the shop owner were there, so it wasn't very crowded or anything. All three of them breathed in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh (Astoria having the most audible sigh, as if she had just smelled fresh hot chocolate or flowers or any number of comforting smells able to cheer one up). Maya showed Charles to the isle that she thought would interest him the most, and asked Astoria if either of them had any plans, what with it being their first trip to Hogsmeade.

"Aside from going to the Shrieking Shack, not really," Astoria replied with a shrug, busy tracing her index finger along the spines of the books on the shelf she was beside, searching for something that was of some interest to her. Maya bit her lip and stood up and down on her toes nervously, glancing around. She was trying to think of a way out. If they really didn't have any plans, then she could just leave them to their own adventurousness and meet up with them later. Astoria seemed to catch on to the fact that Maya was chomping at the bit, eager to leave, "If you have somewhere you'd like to go then you can go ahead. Charles and I won't mind. Meet you by the Shrieking Shack later?"

"Thanks. Uh — right, yes, of course. I don't know how long I'll be, though, but I won't be too long. I promise I'll meet you guys there, alright?" Maya said all of this in a hurry as she backed to the door, stumbling slightly. Astoria looked the slightest bit confused and watched Maya leave, waving a tiny, embarrassed as Maya staggered away. The ice didn't help Maya's walking one bit. She blamed it on the ice.

Maya wasn't quite sure how to get to where the meeting was to be held. All she knew was the name. Hog's Head Inn. She remembered hearing somewhere — perhaps Carol had told her — that The Hog's Head Inn was a shady, dirty place. Not many people, at least none that were trustworthy or had a decent sum of money, could be found at the inn.

Unsure whether this was a good idea or not, Maya nervously approached an elderly witch who was sweeping snow off of her welcome mat and quietly and shyly asked if she knew the way to get to the Hog's Head Inn. The witch, being polite, pointed her in the right way, giving her instructions. She also expressed slight concern, asking what business a quote 'young lady such as yourself' had at the Inn.

Maya brushed the question off, stating that she just wanted to see everything Hogsmeade had to offer and excused herself, quickly making her way to the Inn. Sooner or later, she found her way to the door and with a deep breath to force herself to relax and look confident, she opened the door and stepped inside, taking a good look around.

It was dusty and not very well lit. Most of the light came from the small windows, with a little artificial light from some lanterns and a small fireplace. A goat let out a disgruntled bleat and hit his hoof against the hardwood floor. Maya wrinkled her nose at the goat, finding it unsanitary to have an animal inside a building where people slept and ate. A grouchy looking man with a beard was wiping a glass and the bar with a dirty looking rag. _Quality service much?_ Maya thought sarcastically, shrinking back when the bearded fellow turned his stare on her. It was hard to see his eyes perfectly clear, but she was able to tell that he wasn't happy.

She hurried past the bar and into a dusty dining area, filled with several tables although only a few customers (perhaps three adults) occupied them. In a far corner of the room, by the fireplace and a few windows, there was a gathering of Hogwarts students. A majority were Gryffindors, but Maya recognized members of her own house and a few from Hufflepuff. Carol was among the Hufflepuffs, and Maya naturally gravitated towards her.

Carol looked surprised when she saw Maya, but she offered a smile. It was a little forced, but it was a start. "Maya," she said pleasantly, "It's good to see you. How've you been?"

"I've been —" she paused and fidgeted with the end of her sleeves, glancing over at Lewis, who was glaring at her until she looked his way. When he noticed that she saw him, he made a huff and quickly struck up a conversation with Cho Chang about Quidditch. Maya sighed, "I've been fine, all things considered. Lewis makes jabs at me whenever he can, but I try to avoid giving him the opportunity."

"By getting cozy with the Slytherins?" Carol added, although it wasn't intentionally rude. She had asked a genuine question, and Maya tried not to let it bother her. She nodded slowly, looking down at her feet. "I'm not upset about it, really," Carol told her. "I kind of wish that you and Lewis would get over yourselves, though."

I _need to get over myself? Lewis is to blame for all of this!_ Maya bit her lip and easily changed the subject, "Have Potter or Granger or Weasley shown up yet?" She looked around and easily came to the conclusion that they hadn't shown up yet. Carol shook her head 'no' and just as she did, the Gryffindor trio showed up, crossing the room with Granger at the lead.

They took three seats that were set in front of the crowd and sat down. There was an awkward silence for a long while until Granger stood up, appearing quite nervous. "Umm…" she started and looked around, "…hi. So…you all know why we're here. We need a teacher." There was a pause and she added, "A _proper_ teacher. One who's had real experience defending themselves against the dark arts."

"Why?" asked a Hufflepuff boy in an almost argumentative tone. He seemed familiar, but Maya didn't know him by his first name. His surname was Smith, she knew that. She thought harder and remembered Carol pointing him out. Zacharias Smith, she believed.

" _Why_? 'Cause You-Know-Who's back, you tosspot!" spat Ron Weasley, leaning forward in his seat towards Smith as if he was ready to get up and fight if he needed to.

"So _he_ says," Smith kept his tone the same, gesturing towards Potter.

"So Dumbledore says," Granger interjected.

"So Dumbledore says because he says," Smith wasn't going to move from this position, even Maya could see that he just wanted a fight. He glared at Maya and then back at Potter. "The point is, where's the proof?"

"Potter could tell us more about how Diggory got killed," Michael Corner narrowed his eyes and Maya gave her full attention, really hoping that Potter wasn't going to talk about it. It was clear how uncomfortable the mention of Cedric's death had made Cho and Potter, but Maya made sure that she maintained her blank expression.

"I'm not going to talk about Cedric," Potter stood up from his seat, looking around with frustration visible on his face, "so if that's why you're here then you might as well clear out now." He leaned close to Granger, "Come on, Hermione, let's go," he muttered to her, "they're just here because they think I'm some sort of freak."

"Harry, wait!" hissed Granger, reaching for his arm as he started to leave.

A soft voice stopped everyone, and Potter and Granger briefly searched the crowd for the owner of the voice. It was Luna, looking perfectly relaxed and curious, "Is it true you can produce a Patronus charm?" Maya had read of those once before in a book she'd read over summer holidays once. Powerful charm, although she didn't have a clue where Potter could of learned it and how he had managed to produce one. When _had_ he done that and why hadn't Maya heard about it?

Potter sort of seized up at the question, his initial anger fading away slowly. Granger answered for him, "Yes," and both exchanged a look before a hint of a smile appeared on Granger's face, "I've seen it."

"Blimey, Harry," said Dean Thomas, looking impressed and rather surprised. "I didn't know you could do that!"

"A-And he killed a basilisk," stuttered a nervous Neville Longbottom. Maya looked his way, somewhat reassuringly as he went on. "With the sword in Dumbledore's office."

"It's true!" Ginny Weasley chirped, looking away from Neville and at the others.

"Third year he fought off about a hundred dementors at once," Ron offered, looking up at his best friend. Potter looked at him, but he didn't look too pleased.

"And last year, he really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh," Granger finished. Maya lowered her head and scraped her feet along the floor of the inn, pushing aside a small amount of straw and wrinkling her nose, trying not to think about it.

"Wait…" Potter interrupted before anyone could say anything. He sighed, closing his eyes briefly and opened them as he went on, "Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that, but the truth is most of the time that was just luck. Now, I didn't know what I was doing half the time, I nearly always had help."

Granger looked from Potter and then back at the crowd, "He's just being modest —"

" _No_ , Hermione, I'm not," Potter almost snapped, and Granger closed her mouth and lowered her gaze, taking a step back away from him to provide him space as he looked back at the gathering of students, dead serious, "Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake, you can just try again tomorrow. But out there, when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes…" Maya and Potter made eye contact briefly, and Cho looked away when Potter looked at her. He looked at no one in particular, "You don't know what that's like…"

Potter said nothing more, sitting back down and looking at his feet. "You're right, Harry, we don't," Granger said and sat down in the chair beside him. "That's why we need your help. Because if we're going to have any chance of beating…" she hesitated, then forced the name out of her mouth, "…Voldemort…"

A small boy, a first or second year Gryffindor, squeaked out, "He's really back?" Potter barely looked up, and nodded ever so slightly. Maya bit her lip and pressed her hand to her forehead in mild frustration and sadness. This wasn't something children like themselves should have to do or worry about.

The meeting adjourned not long after, but those wishing to sign on to have Potter as their teacher used a pencil offered by Granger. Maya carefully and quickly wrote her name, finding it a bit unnatural to use a pencil after using quills so often. She looked up at Potter, Weasley, and Granger and then nervously left the inn afterwords, hoping she had time to make it to the Shrieking Shack.

Maya had to sprint through the snow, and she tripped a couple of times when she reached the woods, but she eventually caught up with Charles and Astoria after they had reached the fence on the edge of the Shrieking Shack's property. Astoria smiled when she heard Maya walk down the slope from the woods over to the fence to join them, "You're right on time! We were about to go check it out. Oh, and Draco was asking for you. Something about studying?"

"Yeah, I'll get back to him on that," Maya said distractedly, slightly out of breath. She squinted against the snow and out at the somewhat fuzzy blue silhouette of the Shrieking Shack. "Well, let's see how close we can get. Come on, then." Maya started forward, Astoria and Charles hurrying after her and chattering excitedly about the shack.

* * *

Maya returned to the Great Hall in time to hear an announcement of a new educational decree from Umbridge. 'All student gatherings are henceforth disbanded,' and other nonsense. She scoffed as she removed her scarf and gloves to take a seat for dinner at the Slytherin table instead of with the Ravenclaws, although she was fairly early. Michael Corner was with his two friends and saw her sit down, and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously and whispered something to his friends so that all three were looking at Maya.

"You seem to be quite the popular person, lately," a voice said. Maya jumped and turned to see Potter standing there, since no Slytherins were around except for a few first years. She was surprised to see him talking to her, considering his behavior at the start of the year. "I've heard that your house is growing…suspicious of you after something that happened. I mean, none of that is my business, obviously, and it's solely based on rumors —"

"I don't mean to sound rude, Harry," Maya interrupted his almost rambling, "but what are you doing here? Did you want to talk or something?"

"Yes," he replied. "Yes, actually, I did. I want to ask you a question, and I need you to answer honestly," Maya looked around, confused and unsure of this, but she nodded slowly for him to continue. "Will we be able to trust you?"

"I beg your pardon?" Maya clenched and unclenched her fists.

He lowered his voice and sat down next to her, but Maya slid over so they weren't too close. "What we're doing, it has to be absolutely secret and I need to know whether or not you can be trusted."

"Why is this even a question?" Maya whisper-snapped, annoyed and offended that her loyalty was questioned. Although Potter did have good reason. She had been avoiding her own house and spending time with Astoria, Charles, and of course Potter's rival, her own boyfriend and his gang. "I assure you, you can trust me."

"I'm mostly worried about Malfoy," Potter told her through gritted teeth. "I can trust you not to say anything, but can I trust him not to find a way to manipulate you into telling about…well, we're still stuck on a name, but you get the idea."

"Potter, you have no right to worry about Draco manipulating me. You can trust me, alright, good enough? Draco isn't going to be a problem if he doesn't suspect that I'm a part of your group, now." Maya snapped. Her eyes flicked up and she saw Draco enter the hall, and his eyes immediately locked on her and Potter. She nudged Potter out of the seat. "Get out of here before he tries to hex you and somebody turns him into a ferret, again."

He glanced at Draco, but didn't argue and instead he walked over to the Gryffindor table before Draco reached them. Draco kept staring after Potter. "What was Potter doing over here?" he seethed.

"Oh, he just had a question about Defense Against the Dark Arts," Maya replied cooly, waving a hand. It wasn't necessarily a lie, just a bending of the truth. "I heard someone say that with the new teacher and teaching style, well, he's been having a hard time."

Draco didn't look like he believed her. When she went back to reading, he snatched her by her wrist to get her attention. "Stay away from him, Kensington," he snapped, and Maya wasn't sure where this change in his behavior had come from. Draco looked worried, angry and…afraid. Was that fear she saw underneath the anger.

"Draco…" she tried to pull away, feeling a little afraid herself.

He tightened his grip and jerked her towards him, "If you hang around him, well…it just makes you a target. Okay, I mean it."

"Makes me a target?" Maya stared at him in disbelief, still trying to free herself. She didn't know what had gotten into him, but she didn't like it and she didn't understand the reason for it. "What are you talking about."

"Look, I can't tell you why, okay?" Draco raised his voice a little, then brought it down to a little more than a whisper. "You have to trust me, love," he told her, eyes flicking towards the Gryffindor table. Maya didn't know then that that wasn't going to be the last time she heard him tell her those six words, but for then it seemed both frightening and also comforting.

"Draco, my wrist…let me go. It hurts..." she gently pulled it towards her, it feeling a little sore from his grip. He looked down and quickly let go of her, staring at her for a little while with so many mixed emotions that she couldn't figure it out. He sat down beside her for dinner, but didn't talk to her for the rest of the night.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31 (Year Five): Christmas Break

 _"It'll make you a target…"_

 _"...I can't tell you why…"_

 _"…You have to trust me, love…"_

 _"Stop it,_ _you're hurting her! She had nothing to do with it —"_

 _"Crucio!"_

"Draco!" Maya awoke with a start and clutched her blanket, gasping for air and looking around wildly for Draco until she realized that he wasn't there and that she was in her own common room, wrapped in the soft, thick wool blanket her grandmother had made her. She kept telling herself that it was just another bad dream, but Draco wasn't often the star of her nightmares.

It seemed that that bad dream had been an exception. She remembered very little of it. Draco was saying all of the things from several weeks before, but with added dialogue. And another voice, a sinister one and yet it sounded familiar, but too muffled for her to make out who it could of belonged to, but whoever it was, he or she was cruel. You'd have to be to use the Cruciatus Curse on someone. Thing is, the dream ended before Maya saw who was being tortured. Her…or Draco. As far as she could tell, it was her, and then Draco interfered and the new target was him.

She wished now that she had gone with Draco to the Slytherin common room, instead of dozing off in the Ravenclaw common room, in spite of the fact that she should have been spending more time with her own House. In fact, she may have gone with him had Pansy not threatened to tell Professor Snape and Professor Umbridge about it, stating that it was bad enough to have her sitting at their table. If she was with him, then at least she'd know he was safe.

Maya checked her watch. It was four in the morning, on Saturday. No classes, no responsibilities. She kept cuddled in her blanket, stepping off of the couch, careful not to step on Aspen, who had made her sleeping spot right on the floor, in front of the couch. Aspen squeaked as she realized Maya had gotten up, ears perked, and jumped up to bounce after Maya as she started to make her way to the dorms to get dressed.

The dorm door creaked as it opened, but Maya's roommates were heavy sleepers and didn't wake as she stepped inside, barely able to see in the dark. She quietly grabbed the pair of jeans and navy blue shirt that she'd set out the night before, quickly changing. Maya grabbed her gloves, her boots, jacket, and her scarf, and then crept out of the dorm, calling for Aspen to follow before she closed the door.

She pulled her boots on and stuffed the gloves in her jacket pocket and folded the scarf up to fit it in her other pocket and then opened the door and made her way quietly down the spiral staircase. It was still dark out, and Filch was probably still patrolling with Mrs. Norris. So where did she think she was going? Her first thought was Draco, although he was probably still asleep. But she wanted some reassurance that he was alright, even if it was just a ridiculous nightmare that she had.

Clenching her fists, she quietly made it to the entrance hall, outside the great hall, and out into the courtyard, Aspen trotting close behind her. Snow was on the ground, and it was chilly. She pulled her gloves on and wrapped her scarf around her neck, shivering as she found herself a tree just outside the courtyard, climbed up and rested on the branch with Aspen on her stomach.

Filch hadn't discovered her, so she was in the clear for now. Maya had Aspen to keep an eye out if he showed up, although really Aspen would squeak out a warning if anybody showed up, so not just Filch. Stroking Aspen, she stared up at the stars, but kept alert in case she needed to make a quick escape.

Maya stayed in the tree, thinking and looking up at the stars and naming what constellations she could make out after learning them in Astronomy class. She knew Draco, Scorpius (one of her favorites, and she thought it would make a nice constellation name for a kid), Orion, the Little Dipper, Leo (Draco hated this one) and a few others. An hour or so went by, and the sun had started to rise, making the stars fade as the sky turned pink and orange in color.

She waited in the tree until about 7:30, watching the sun rise, and then she slid out of the tree and jogged inside, finding a few half-asleep and messily dressed (with the exception of a few people) students filing into the Great Hall for dinner. Maya searched the crowd, and none of the Slytherins she recognized. At last, Draco showed up, dressed in his usual black (save for a dark green tie). Did he have any color in his wardrobe besides black and green?

Maya rushed up to him. He saw her out of the corner of his eye and had started to smile, but Maya immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She felt him stumble back from the force of the hug, but eventually he awkwardly returned it, patting her shoulder with one hand and his other hand gently stroking her along her shoulder blade.

"Were you outside? You're freezing!" Draco said, trying to break away from the hug. When Maya refused to let go, he relaxed and tapped her shoulder, "Er, Kensington? Are you alright?" She kept her hands holding on to his shoulders and looked at him, checking him up and down to make sure that he was okay. He looked worried, and snapped his fingers in front of her face to snap her out of her weird trance, "Kensington? Maya! What is the matter with you?"

"You're fine. I knew I was getting worried over nothing…" Maya muttered. Draco wore a bewildered expression, not understanding. She looked down at her feet, "I just…had a sort of…bad dream. I don't know if it means anything, but I was just being…immature for worrying about you, just forget it."

Draco scoffed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder to walk her into the Great Hall. "I probably had you on edge last night after grabbing your wrist last night," he offered as an explanation. "I mean, it's your fault that you made something out of it, but you have a paranoid mind, don't you?" Maya looked at him indignantly, frowning. "I'm kidding, Kensington," he sighed, nudging her. "Lighten up. You can't let one bad dream ruin the rest of your day."

"You're right…" Maya looked up at the ceiling of the Great Hall and watched the few clouds that covered the enchanted ceiling. He acted just fine, considering what had happened the night before. Him and his mood swings.

* * *

Time had gone by and Potter and his friends had taken a long while to finally find a place for their meetings to take place. Longbottom had evidently come across it by accident, walking down one of the corridors. It was evidently the Room of Requirement, a hidden room in Hogwarts that only showed itself when one was in great need of it. And the newly recruited group (which was named Dumbledore's Army, evidently) had great need of it.

It was perfect. Hidden — so Umbridge couldn't walk in on them — and roomy, so they had plenty of room to practice. It felt so safe, which Maya found comforting. There was even a fireplace, and without it and the faint blueish light that resembled light from windows, the room might have felt cold and drab.

Potter started them off slowly during their first meeting, practicing a simple disarming charm. Longbottom had trouble with it, Potter explaining that he was flourishing his wand too much, then he disarmed the dummy they had made to show him how much to wave his wand. From then on, during classes or during a free period, you could — if you were looking close enough — see Longbottom practicing the movement with the wand.

Umbridge and Filch found out about the meetings, and Umbridge got the assistance of several Slytherin students to be a part of her Inquisitorial Squad as she called it, and their goal was to catch troublemakers (including Dumbledore's Army). Unfortunately, Draco had — without shame — signed up, and was assigned as the squad's leader, with Umbridge as the 'high inquisitor'.

The Inquisitorial Squad had the power to dock points from other Houses, and when Maya had expressed concern, stating that Umbridge was no good, Draco had threatened to take house points from Ravenclaw, but Maya continued to express her opinion. He originally threatened to take ten points, but he ended up taking fifteen after Pansy accused him of being soft on his girlfriend. Pansy had also had him add five more simply for her blood status. So twenty points had been taken, and Maya was blamed.

With the new Inquisitorial Squad, Maya had returned to sitting at the Ravenclaw table to avoid their wrath and bashing of Gryffindors and Muggleborns, although many were suspicious of her. Dumbledore's Army was especially suspicious of her, with the Weasleys (Ron, mostly, and occasionally the Twins) claiming that she was too close to Draco for their liking, Potter had sat down and talked with her.

Once again, she had to reassure him that she wasn't going to betray Dumbledore's Army, although Potter had plans for her. To prove that she was loyal to them, under Potter's orders, she was to find out (from anybody and in any way she could) when the Inquisitorial Squad had patrols down the corridor that the Room of Requirement was on, and when they'd stop and move on so that the D.A. could make their escape when meetings concluded.

Maya had started by asking Draco, seeing if he would tell her. Although he was initially suspicious, she lied and said that it was because she wanted to know if they could spend time together in between or before patrols and she wanted to know how long they'd have together. He only gave her the schedule of that day, and it frustrated her to no end. She would have liked the entire week's schedule, since Christmas break started soon and that week was all she needed, but she resorted to asking the dumbest students in Slytherin (Maya's mental correction was 'dumbest students in _Hogwarts_ ') for the schedule.

She caught up with Crabbe and Goyle outside of the Great Hall, making sure that Draco wasn't around. "Crabbe, Goyle!" she called, jogging to catch them. "Hold on, you two, I need to talk to you!" Maya had used a more assertive tone than how she actually felt, learning from spending time with Draco that if you used the right tone, then the two stupid gits would listen to you (for the most part).

"Whaddya want, Kensington?" sighed the more intelligent of the two, Crabbe. He had grown only barely tolerant of Maya's presence, the more and more she spent time with Draco. Goyle hadn't said much, but oftentimes he mimicked anything that Crabbe did.

"It's not what I want, Crabbe," Maya snapped at them. She crossed her arms. "Dra — I mean — Malfoy is waiting in the library for me to come back with the patrol schedule for the Inquisitorial Squad this week written down. He forgot when it was and he misplaced the paper where he wrote it down." Maya had taken the entire walk from Ravenclaw tower to figure out a believable lie, and she prayed that they were stupid enough to believe it.

Crabbe and Goyle exchanged glances before Goyle spoke, "If Malfoy wants it then he can come and have us give it to him himself. Just because you snog him and go out for Butterbeer, it don't mean you can order us around."

 _Okay, slight change in plan_. She rolled her eyes, "Come on, he needs to know! You have it already written down, don't you?"

"O'course we do," Crabbe snapped and crossed his arms. "Got 'em right here in our pockets, but we ain't givin' 'em to you. Tell Malfoy he can get it himself instead of sending his pet after us." And before Maya could make any sort of retort, they turned towards the Great Hall.

Maya huffed with frustration and drew her wand, aiming it towards Goyle's pants's pocket. Checking to make sure that no one in was around, she whispered, " _Accio_ shedule!" A folded scrap of paper flew from his pocket and into Maya's raised and open hand. She unfolded it and smirked triumphantly. _Brilliant_. "Well, thanks for your help, boys!" Maya called after them, hiding the paper and her wand as they turned around and scowled, but kept walking.

She kept it in her pockets until the next morning at breakfast, when she casually walked past the Gryffindor table and dropped the paper right in front of Potter, on his plate. Weasley, Granger, and Potter all three hurried to look at the paper and Potter grinned and glanced over at Maya, who returned the smile with a respectful nod as she sat down next to Luna at the Ravenclaw table.

That week, they managed to avoid the Inquisitorial Squad better than before, and Maya was treated a little better by her fellow students.

* * *

Maya stepped off of the Hogwarts Express, holding her bags close. She wasn't sure who from her family was picking her up. Her mother had sent her to her grandparents to live with ever since fourth year. Maya wasn't complaining, but she would've liked to spend some time with her mother. It wasn't until she heard her name called after she left Platform Nine and Three Quarters, that she saw that her mother actually had come to the station.

"Mum, what are you doing here?" she managed to ask as her mother — beside herself with joy — wrapped her arms around Maya and squeezed her in a hug. "I thought you were busy here, in London, at the hospital?"

Her mother finally let go, grinning from ear to ear. "They let me have Christmas off now that I've gone full time down there, so I'll be spending your break with you, your brother, and your grandparents. Come on, now, grab your bags and lets get going. We have a long drive ahead of us, and I don't want to waste a second more than I have to." Maya hurried to grab her luggage, picking up Aspen's carrier while her mother grabbed her suitcase and began to pull it behind her, walking and talking at the same time.

Outside, there was a light snowfall. The pavement was glistening and on the sidewalk it was coated with ice. Maya nearly lost her balance and listened to Aspen shrieking in surprise when she nearly went flying out of Maya's hands. It didn't make it any easier that the anxious marten was pacing in her carrier, panting heavily and making odd squealing noises.

Maya sucked in a sharp breath as her mother opened the car's trunk and swung Maya's suitcase into, her foot slipping out from under her on the ice, nearly losing balance from the weight of the suitcase. She made a move to help her mother, but the woman caught herself before she slipped to the ground, breathing shakily, "That was…surprising."

"Here…" Maya offered Aspen's carrier to her mum, and placed her free hand on top of the suitcase. "I'll take care of this. I'm used to carrying it by now. Besides, I haven't seen you since summer last year, and I don't think that a trip to the Emergency Room is on the agenda." Her mother sighed and accepted Aspen's carrier, walking around the car to place Aspen in the back seat. Maya lifted the suitcase up and with a lot of grunting and thudding, she managed to get it inside and close the trunk. Out of breath, she said to herself, "Next time, I'm actually folding the clothes instead of stuffing them and everything else in at once…I'm definitely leaving some stuff at home."

The drive from London all the way out to Portree was long and exhausting. Maya's mother had insisted on driving eleven hours, with only extremely short breaks. It wasn't until early the next morning they got there, and Maya was awoke by her grandmother giving her a firm nudge. "Come on, Maya, dear. Let's get you all settled in and you can go back to sleep."

She stretched out, her back and neck hurting from sleeping in the car. Maya yawned and unbuckled herself, letting the seatbelt slide back into its usual resting place, stepping out of the car. Her mother and Aspen were gone, and she caught a glimpse of her grandfather dragging her suitcase in through the front door before he vanished inside. Maya's knees and legs hurt from being cooped up in the car.

With her grandmother's help, she staggered through the snow and up the damp stone steps into the warmth of her grandmother's home. Immediately, she grabbed Aspen's carrier and marched upstairs, without a word (since she was half-asleep, not much she said would have made sense anyways), shut her bedroom door, let a furious Aspen out, kicked off her boots, and collapsed onto her bed. She fell asleep not long after that, not waking up for another hour or two, later in the morning.

Her mother was waiting for her at the table when she came downstairs the next morning. Maya was still wearing her wrinkled clothes as she hopped down the stairs, happy to be home and get to avoid any sneaking around and lying and hiding things. For now, at least, since (according to older relatives) she always managed to find some sort of trouble, even if it was nothing serious.

"I was thinking of going for a ride in the snow. We could take two of the horses and ride them all the way to town, maybe up to the cliff overlooking the water," was the suggestion her mother made after she downed half a cup of coffee. Maya stared at her, stirring her own cup of tea that she'd just made. How did people stand drinking coffee? It was far too bitter for Maya's taste.

"Actually, I kind of want to relax this break," Maya admitted quietly. "Sit inside and read."

"You're turning down an opportunity to ride a horse? Have you got a fever or something?" her mum was joking, obviously, but Maya didn't feel much like laughing. "I've never seen you look so exhausted. Everything alright? Something going on at school?"

Maya stirred the tea faster, it making an annoying clanking sound when it hit against the glass. She stopped and placed the spoon on the table, taking a sip of tea. She cleared her throat after swallowing, "Everything's fine at school." Maya smiled. So much for no lying. She took another sip, avoiding her mother's narrowed gaze.

"Is everything alright with you and your boyfriend? What was his name? Drack-oh?" Maya snorted, half-amused half-offended by her mother's failed attempt at pronouncing Draco's name.

"Mum, it's pronounced _Draco_ ," Maya told her slowly. " _Dray_ -koh. Not Drack-oh. Good grief, mum." Both burst into laughter, even though it wasn't all that funny. The two found it amusing, and her mother tried to apologize between laughs.

"Well, then," her mother sighed after a soft chuckle and the laughter faded. "If nothing's wrong, then why don't you get out of the house? No reason to stay cooped up."

"Fine," Maya replied, shaking her head and smiling. "I'll go with you for that ride, if it'll make you happy."

* * *

"Mother?" Draco knocked softly on the door to the drawing room, where his mother sat at one of the tables, dictating to a quill she had that was scrawling what she said onto a piece of parchment. His mother stopped and looked up at him when she heard the knock, and the quill stopped. A smile appeared on her face as she beckoned for Draco to step inside. "Father said that you had something to talk to me about?"

His mother nodded, "Sit down, dear." She looked towards the fireplace, where evergreen garland with a few silver ornaments had been strung along the mantle. Draco did as she was told and sat down in the chair, moving his mother's elderly cat off of the couch. It stretched where he set it down on the floor and — much to his annoyance — leapt onto his lap, purring, and curled up. "Now, isn't that sweet?"

"She's going to shed all over my clothes…" Draco whined, and hesitantly stroked the light gray cat. The cat had been there his whole life, before then, even, and part of him (somewhat bitterly) wondered when the cat would finally pass on. If not for her fluffy, silky soft fur, then she would have looked like the wrinkly house-elf that did most of the work since Dobby left. "Fine, you can stay," he muttered to the cat as she made herself at home, ignoring the grin from his mother.

"Adorable…" his mother said warmly and then shook her head and straightened up, the smile fading. "Now, where were we? Oh, yes. You see, Draco, your father and I are a bit concerned about something. Well, we're concerned for completely different reasons, of course, but he felt it'd be better if I were to be the one to tell you."

"Tell me…what, exactly?" Draco tensed up and the cat's ears perked, sensing the tension. The purring faded and Draco stroked her nervously, not even noticing until the cat let out a short, annoyed yowl and leapt off his lap, scurrying away with her tail held high. "What's wrong?"

"Kensington, your girlfriend," his mother started, looking as though she was thinking each word out. "It's about her. I heard them talking late in the summer, Draco." Draco felt like his heart had stopped and any color remaining in his face had drained completely. "McNair believes that if she were to die, then you'd focus on more important things. Your father obviously had a more sensible approach, as he always does. Snape as well. She's a target, Draco, a minor obstacle to the Dark Lord."

"What are you saying?"

"To protect yourself and her, the smart decision would be to…" she trailed off and she didn't need to finish. Draco knew what she was saying.

"Leave her? To push her away? Is that it?" Draco asked, looking at his lap, then glancing back up at his mother, tilting his head to one side curiously. She nodded, a sympathetic, concerned look in her eyes. "Mother, there's got to be another way."

"If there is, then I'm unaware of it," his mother reached out a hand, taking his in hers. "It's best for both of you."

Draco sighed, biting his tongue and thinking carefully, lightly squeezing his mum's hand. "If that's the case — the solution — and if it really is the way to protect her from the Dark Lord, then…it'll be done before the year is over…I promise."


	32. Chapter 32

Author's Note:

 _Well, year five is now coming to an end (it's about as long as year one was, but with longer chapters). Not to worry, though, as the sixth year will be started in the next few weeks as soon as I get it written, and it will be the second longest year that I've written for, if my notes are correct._

 _A shorter chapter, but one that I had fun writing. Mostly because it ends fifth year and I can now get into the drama of the sixth year (can't believe that I'm that far already!)._

Hope ya'll enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Two (Year Five): For the Best (End of Year Five)

Maya didn't know that she and Draco had been on such bad terms, or really how right Lewis had been the whole time. Until Dumbledore's Army was found out. It had all started like a normal day. Breakfast in the Great Hall, stealing the Inquisitorial Squad's schedule (this time actually from Draco's pocket instead of one of his lackeys), and slipping it to Potter. Then the meeting time for the D.A. was decided and she snuck down the halls to the Room of Requirement.

That day, Potter had them practicing the Patronus Charm. He told them about it, explaining that full bodied patronuses were harder, but a shield or incorporeal patronus worked just as well. Maya was hesitant to practice at first. Her encouragement was from seeing the other students determinedly repeating the incantation, no matter how often they failed.

Granger had conjured her patronus, an otter, which squeaked and danced around her as she grinned and laughed at it. She had encountered some difficulty casting it, unusual for Granger. Weasley had a dog of some sorts, his sister's patronus was a horse. Potter praised those that had gotten it right, and encouraged those that were struggling, reminding everyone to focus on their happiest memory. He paused when he reached Maya, "Are you going to try it, yet?"

Maya nodded, "I'm focusing." Potter gave a curt nod and continued to walk around the Room of Requirement, going to encourage Longbottom. Maya tried to think of what she considered to be her happiest memory. Most of them involved either her friends or Draco, but ever since she stopped talking with Lewis and Carol, most of the memories with her friends made her sad. So she tried to think of one with Draco. The first one that came to her mind was the night of the Yule Ball.

The dancing, the teasing, the laughing, the music. Maya focused on how happy she had felt in that moment, hoping that it was happy enough. That was the first time she remembered actually seeing Draco with a genuine smile that wasn't there because he had just finished bullying someone. It was when she realized how she felt about him. _I hope this works…_ Maya thought, closing her eyes and then speaking as loudly as she could, she said, "Expecto Patronum!"

Her first few tries, nothing happened, the fourth or fifth, she got a stream of silver and a faint whooshing sound. By around her tenth try, she managed to conjure her patronus. A bird of some sorts, the exact kind it was hard to make out. It resembled one she'd seen in a documentary before. A magpie, was what she remembered it being called, and the patronus — although silvery-blue in color — had faint markings which resembled the bird. What exactly did this patronus mean, though? If only there was a guide or something that told her everything about the different forms patronuses could take.

The magpie flared it's semi-translucent wings and made a soft sound, flying around Maya's head and through her arms and legs before it slowly faded away. Maya found herself smiling like Granger had done when her otter patronus had danced around her. She felt accomplished, although a little drained from it. The memory she had chosen seemed to still be playing on repeat, but a dull thudding sound pushed it out of her mind and the entire room suddenly went quiet.

She heard Umbridge's voice from a crack the thudding had made in the wall, and before Maya knew it, the wall had been blown open by Umbridge. There was a pause, the D.A. members confused and frightened. The Inquisitorial squad was standing there with triumphant smirks on their faces. Pansy made eye contact with Maya and the Slytherin girl tilted her head back in a superior way, smirk growing. Maya wanted to hex the look right off her face, and she started to raise her wand when movement out of the corner of her eye made her stop.

Draco side stepped, coming into view. He stopped beside Umbridge and yanked a very ashamed and shaken looking Cho Chang by her arm, his wand in one hand. He was giddy, especially once he spotted Potter, Granger, and Weasley. His eyes flicked to Maya and a strange glint appeared there, but the toothy grin didn't fade. Umbridge ordered the Inquisitorial Squad to 'get them' and several Slytherins stepped forward, wands drawn, to snatch the members up. Pansy went right up to Maya and grabbed her arm, yanking her forward, out the gap in the wall made by Umbridge's explosion.

"Loosen your grip, Parkinson!" Maya snapped, jerking away slightly. "She said 'get them' not 'dislocate their shoulder because you can't have their boyfriend'! I think my hand's going numb…" Mostly, she was just complaining to get on Pansy's nerves. And it worked. Her grip tightened and loosened and tightened and loosened, as if she was squeezing a rubber stress ball.

"Shut it, Kensington," Pansy hissed, pulling her forward so that they were walking beside Draco as they made their way to wherever they were taking the D.A. "There. Maybe now the little Ravenclaw will behave herself." Draco was no longer holding Cho, and was walking by himself behind Umbridge. He glared at Pansy as she continued to drag Maya along in spite of her complaints and constant pulling to get free.

Without much warning, Draco grabbed Maya by her other arm and pulled her towards him, away from Pansy. Maya yelped in surprise and mild pain, since Pansy's nails dug into her arm to hold on. "Let her go, Pansy," Draco ordered. "Go talk to Crabbe or Blaise. See if they need any help." Pansy opened her mouth, but no words came out. With a growl of disapproval, she slowed down and fell into step beside Blaise Zabini. Draco gave another pull on Maya's arm as she looked back and slowed down, drifting apart from Draco.

"Ouch! Draco, give me back to Pansy. She was far more gentler than you're being…" Maya whispered, pushing on his hand with her own, trying to loosen his grip. Now she really had a hard time feeling her fingers. "There's a thing called circulation, Draco, and I need it to avoid an amputation or something."

"A _what_?" Draco looked at her, scowling, but he sounded confused. He probably was.

"An amputation. It's a Muggle medical procedure, but it'd take too long to explain…" Maya replied, only briefly pausing in her struggle to get free from Draco's grasp. She refused to go quietly, even if the others put up little resistance.

"What did I tell you about Potter?" Draco said quietly after a short pause. "He's bad news, and now look where you are." Maya didn't reply, but things went downhill from there for the rest of the school year.

Umbridge confronted Dumbledore after the discovery of the D.A. and Dumbledore quickly left, and Umbridge appointed herself headmistress. Maya considered Umbridge's reign over Hogwarts to be a living hell. On top of the terrible new headmistress, ever since the D.A. had been found out, Draco had begun to distance himself from Maya as much as possible. She saw Pansy acting all affectionate towards him whenever they sat at the Slytherin table, and Maya still didn't want to get over her pride enough to admit that Lewis had been right.

* * *

The Weasley twins had caused quite a havoc during the examinations. Umbridge had every student from their year lined up in the Great Hall, which seemed cold and empty in spite of every fifth year being there. The scratching of quills could be heard as students wrote down their answers. Maya was quickly scrawling her answers, although she noticed a few other Ravenclaws were taking their time to think things through.

Although she didn't like Umbridge's teaching, it didn't mean that she didn't pay some attention. Defense Against the Dark Arts was her least favorite class this year, but she wasn't going to let it slip out of her list of classes that she was good at. A dull thudding could be heard, which snapped Maya from her thoughts and nearly made her ruin what she was writing.

It caught Umbridge's attention, and she curiously walked from the front of the great hall, over to the doors, opening them. Several other students stopped writing, looking curiously to see what was happening. Not long after that, the fireworks started, Fred and George Weasley bursting into the Great Hall on brooms and letting loose firecrackers and whatnot. They targeted Umbridge and members of the Inquisitorial Squad, one of the fireworks going after Draco, another going after Crabbe and Goyle. Pansy got one chasing after her and she screamed like a banshee.

The Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw students were all laughing, the Gryffindors especially. The best part was when a giant dragon shaped firework formed and chased after Umbridge. She ran, but it caught up, snapping its jaws over her, although no harm was done to her except for her pride. The students, abandoning their O.W.L.s, ran right past her to follow the Weasley twins on their brooms as they quickly escaped into the courtyard.

A firework formed in the sky in the shape of a giant 'W' as the twins escaped Hogwarts. Maya was grinning and celebrating with Carol, both girls overjoyed by what had just happened.

* * *

Towards the end of the year, Maya had seen less and less of Draco, barely knowing he existed. But one day, when Maya was on her way back to Ravenclaw tower after a visit to the library so she could return some books she'd borrowed, Draco approached her. At first, she was happy to see him, but the look on his face was furious. He walked right up and shoved her against the wall, his wand aimed at her throat. "What did you have to do with _this_?" he demanded, shoving the Daily Prophet in her face and pointing at an article that was behind the front page.

The article in question revealed that they captured Lucius Malfoy, a suspected Death Eater. He was to be locked in Azkaban until his trial. This was the first that Maya had heard of it, although she remembered Luna mentioning something about Potter and his friends (Luna included) had gone to the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry and several Death Eaters were there, Mr. Malfoy included. But why was Draco upset with Maya?

"What are you talking about?" Maya asked, pressing herself against the wall to get away from him. Draco kept looking at her, yanking the paper away and crumbling it in his fist. "I didn't have anything to do with this, Draco!"

"You supported Potter in whatever he did and he's the one who got my father locked up," Draco snapped. "That's enough involvement for me."

Maya scoffed, "Draco, you're being immature. I had no idea that Potter would land your father in prison, but your dad's a Death Eater and he deserves what he got. Discriminating against Muggle-borns, supporting a murderer, he's no good. I should know, since I already had a confrontation with your dear father, in the graveyard when Cedric died, and Lucius Malfoy most definitely supports Voldemort!" Draco's expression changed to one of shock, but the anger was still there. She used this as an opportunity and shoved Draco away, pulling her own wand out and pointing it at him. "Look what he's done to you, Draco. How he's raised you to act like this!"

Draco was silent for a long while before he let out a shaky breath and said through gritted teeth, "You take back what you said about him…Take it back!"

"No, I won't!" Maya declared, and stepped back as he straightened up. "He can rot in Azkaban, for all I care, and you along with him, since you're willing to do, say, and follow whatever he does. You're no better than he is, Draco, and I was wrong to think otherwise." She felt bad for what she had just said, and there was no mistaking the hurt that flashed in his eyes. He put his wand into his pocket, and Maya slowly did the same. He walked over to her, and she didn't move away as he took her hand in his. "I-I'm sorry, Draco…I —"

"I don't want your apology, Kensington…" Draco growled, then he sighed. "Taking the developments of this year into account, I think…you and I aren't going to work out…" He traced his thumb across her cheek, sadly, even though he looked mildly angry. "Not like we were ever a smart match to begin with. Look at us…" His words sounded rehearsed, and Maya shifted uncomfortably.

"Draco…w-what are you saying?" Maya had a pretty good idea what he was saying, but she didn't want to accept it. At least, not yet. "Are you…are you breaking up with me?" She narrowed her eyes and he gave a little nod. Maya bit her lip and looked at her feet. There was an awkward silence, and she tapped her foot on the ground. "You know, Draco..." she looked up, meeting his eyes. "I — I think you're right..." She kissed his cheek and backed away, although it was hard for her not to insist that they stay together. Maybe this was better for the both of them. "Goodbye, Draco."

She sniffled as she turned around and marched off. Faintly, she heard Draco start after her, saying, "Wait…" but another set of steps stopped beside him and Maya heard Pansy's voice just before she was out of earshot. It was over. She went up to Ravenclaw tower and packed quickly, feeling miserable. Her eyes were watery and her throat hurt.

When the time came for the students to board the Hogwarts express, she and Draco didn't acknowledge each other at all, not even when she passed him on her way to find an empty compartment. She just kept her head down, avoiding anyone's looks. Maya sat alone for a good while until Lewis and Carol sat down, Lewis sitting beside her. "Maya? Are you doing alright?"

"We heard about what happened with you and Malfoy." Carol said, resting a hand on Maya's knee comfortingly. Lewis awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder.

Maya felt her eyes watering again and she wrapped her arms around Lewis in a hug, burying her head in his shoulder, "Oh, Lewis you were right…all along…Draco _was_ no good. I'm so, so sorry…" most of it was sobbed, but Lewis didn't seem to mind his shoulder getting wet. He pulled his arms around her, and Carol sat down on Maya's other side, putting Maya in the middle. It was a strange sort of group hug. Maya eventually pulled away, sniffling and wiping her eyes. "He's a foul git. I don't even know how it led up to a breakup, but I know I…miss him, but it was the best thing to do. I'm sorry I acted so harsh towards you, Lewis."

"That's alright," Lewis replied, then he rubbed the back of his neck. "I still have that bruise from where I landed when you used Stupefy on me…"

"Sorry about that…" Maya said.

"Look, Maya, I'm going to be honest with you," Carol started, her hand on Maya's shoulder. "We're your best friends, and we don't want to see you hurt. Next time, you should listen to us before you get your heart broken."

"I understand…"

Although Maya was upset, she still had Lewis and Carol, and they were kind to take her back after her argument with them. If only she could feel as positive about Draco.


	33. Chapter 33

Author's Note:

 _Well, I hope that the last year's ending wasn't too disappointing, but I promise that the recent developments are not permanent for them. Give it a year or two and we'll see, hehe._

 _As always, I apologize for the wait for this chapter. I feel like I say that every other chapter, but I do mean it!_

 _Hope ya'll enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Three (Year Six): Late Night Scheming

"Happy birthday to you!"

Maya's family sang at the dinner table. It was August 19th, and she and her mom would be heading to London tomorrow and Maya would stay at the Leakey Cauldron and buy her stuff in the ten days before she was to leave on her actual birthday on September 1st to return for her sixth year at Hogwarts. She wasn't feeling like celebrating, not even when her mom and grandmother gave her a slice of homemade ice cream cake. All summer she'd been brooding, and she really wanted to be alone.

Her mother's new boyfriend, Elijah — a likable half-blood wizard (only a few months older than her mom) that they met early in the summer when Maya had taken a trip to Diagon Alley to buy an owl — was eagerly pushing forward the birthday gift he got for her. Although he had only been dating Maya's mother for about a month, he had taken instant liking to everyone in the family, and they all seemed to like him. Maya had barely said more than four words to the guy, keeping to herself as usual. He was very likable, though, and she had no problem with him.

"Er…mum?" Maya started quietly, slowly dragging her plate over to her, reaching for a fork. "Could we open any gifts you guys got me later? I want to be alone right now…" She cleared her throat, but didn't attempt to re-pronounce 'now' (which had come out as 'noo'). Maya hated how her voice had changed over the summer, and it was only on some words. Her family loved to point it out as well, her grandfather being so proud that one of his grandchildren had one, since the others had never developed one (the lucky ones, in Maya's opinion).

"But yeh've barely spent any time with us all summer," her grandfather protested as he took a bite of cake. Maya had already stood up, with her plate and fork, without waiting for permission. "And what about yer cake yeh've got? Where're yeh gonna eat your slice? It'll melt yeh know."

"I'll…eat it in the barn. I just want to read out there, that's all." Maya walked into the living room, earning no more protests. She grabbed her book off of the couch where she left it and opening the front door, stepping outside into the warm night air. It was silent, and comforting. Maya quickly crossed the yard, passing her grandmother's garden at a light jog, over to the barn where the door was cracked.

Maya stuck her foot in the gap and slid the door aside with some struggle, making the gap large enough for her to slip through. Once inside, she set her plate and book on one of the tack boxes and put the door back the way it was. Several black and white and brown and white heads peeked out of the stalls, ears perked. They were her grandmothers horses, Shires bred for work on the farm and the occasional racing. Some of the best foals could also fetch a pretty penny.

"Hello there, lovelies," Maya purred as she walked to one of the stalls, where 'her' horse was. A feisty colt, the smallest of the horses. He was 'her' horse. He had a mostly black body, but instead of a traditional blaze, he had white that covered almost half of his face. Maya had gotten along with him, but her grandmother didn't like him. Maya had talked her out of selling him, and he became hers in a way. Mostly he was for work, but she rode him in the forest or into town, down to the beach every now and then.

Spiorad was the name given to him, it meant 'spirit' in Scottish Gaelic, but Maya called him Spio as a nickname. She once described his personality in a letter to Lewis as being similar to Draco's, which wasn't a lie. Maya never let Spiorad push her around, although he had bit her arm a few days ago when she wasn't looking and she had needed a few stitches. Thinking back, she traced her finger over the small bandage that Elijah had put over the injury.

Maya pulled back when she felt Spiorad nudge her cheek, curling his lip up and trying to nibble at her fingers and up where the bandage was. "Don't you even think it, Spio!" she half-laughed at how he jerked his head back and shook his neck, snorting indignantly. Maya ripped the bandage off, and although the area around the bite was still tender, she was probably safe from infection. It was only swelling a little around the edge of the bite. It was bigger than she thought, and now that the swelling wasn't as bad, she began to think that it would scat a little bit.

"You're lucky I'm fond enough of you not to be mad at you about this," Maya scowled and Spio perked his ears before backing into his stall and hiding in the corner. She rolled her eyes at him and sat on the tack box, picking up her book to start reading. Just when she did, she heard the door slide open and looked up. Carol, a Hufflepuff who's grandmother lived next-door, was standing there, grinning. She hadn't even gotten a 'Hello' out when her friend started talking.

"Guess what! Charles and I are going to London with you because mum and dad got called out on business, and grandma's been feeling a little ill lately, so she isn't going to be able to take us, and grandfather has been busy with the Ministry lately, so he's out of the question, too. You're mum was our last hope and she agreed to take us, isn't that great?" Carol said it all in nearly one breath, talking quickly. "Are you all packed, then?"

"Umm…hi?" Maya said slowly, still processing everything. She rubbed her hand, which was a little sore and itchy, and then said, "I was going to pack tonight. It's great that you get to ride with us to London, but we have to get up super early, you know. You'll have to be over here at around five in the morning, since mom likes to get back while there's still daylight."

"Oh, we know," Carol chirped, sticking her hands in her pockets. "That's why Charles and I are staying the night."

"Really?" Maya forced a smile. So much for alone time. "That's wonderful." She slammed her book closed, but Carol was busy occupying herself with the horses to notice. Aspen, a pine marten that was Maya's animal companion, scurried through the open barn door and onto Maya's lap, chattering before rubbing her arm comfortingly. Maya stroked her and sighed. "I'm going inside, Carol," Maya announced and Carol said that she'd be over soon and so Maya stood up and left, Aspen close behind her.

She walked through the front door, quietly, and hurried up to her room. When Maya reached her bedroom, she closed the door behind her and dropped her book onto her bed, sitting down at her desk to start writing a letter. Just as she did, a faint scratching could be heard at her window. Maya stood up and pulled aside her curtains, the face of a brown owl pressing against the glass.

Maya opened the window to allow the bird to hop inside. Aspen, who had curled up on Maya's bed, sat up and snarled at the owl, having taken an instant disliking ever since Maya brought him home. The bird, which had gone unnamed as Maya couldn't think of a fitting name (she referred to him as the 'flying, feathered mail courier', but besides that he had no title), was used to send Maya's letters to Draco, but thus far he returned without any letter in his claws or beak.

This time however, he had a note in his mouth and was hooting excitedly and bouncing up and down. "Okay, okay, featherbrain," she said as she pulled the note from his beak. He nipped her fingers and she pulled away from him, wincing in pain. "Not you, too…" Maya muttered angrily, sitting back down at her desk and unrolling the note. It was written in Draco's handwriting, although it seemed messy and rushed, lacking a lot of detail. It was in all capital letters.

 _STOP SENDING LETTERS. DON'T WANT TO TALK. NO LONGER FRIENDS. NOT SAFE FOR EITHER OF US. CAN'T EXPLAIN._

She set it down, staring at it thoughtfully for a short while. Maya had sent him letters because she didn't want their breakup to be awkward or anything like that. She still cared about him, and genuinely wanted to be his friend. However, it seemed that Draco was not open to that possibility. Maya opened the drawer where the box full of Draco's letters and notes was kept. On top of the box was one of his origami birds. Sighing, she carefully set it on her desk and pulled the box out, opening it up and dropping the note inside, closing it and putting it back.

Maya might have thought that Draco was holding some sort of grudge, but the last part of his note was something that kept her awake most of the night (although Carol's snoring from the guest bedroom contributed as well). What did he mean by 'not safe for either of us', Maya was wondering as she tossed and turned in her bed at around three in the morning. And why couldn't he explain it?

Something was up, and Maya was determined to get to the bottom of it.

* * *

Most of the shops in Diagon Alley were poorly lit, some of which actually closed down. Maya found the dreariness and lack of light interesting, however uncharacteristic of the usually cheerful and bright alley. Carol and Charles had found it terrifying — something she hadn't expected to hear from Charles (considering how dreary the Slytherin common room was) although she was only somewhat surprised by Carol's apprehension — and refused to spend any longer shopping than they had to.

Maya, however, enjoyed the quiet chatter and mysterious air. She spent the last day before the departure to Hogwarts walking down the streets and exploring a little bit, since it was easier to see everything without excited getting in your way or grumpy old shop owners staring you down. Most of the crowd was at the Weasley twins joke shop, the only shop which Maya had avoided like the plague.

She had nothing against the twins, not after how they humiliated Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad the last year, but she wasn't one for pranks and ridiculous and gruesome ways to get out of classes. Maya enjoyed her classes at Hogwarts, with the exception of maybe History of Magic and maybe Herbology. And sometimes Potions could be annoying, but only if she (rarely) decided to open her mouth and Snape got onto her.

Walking past the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes (which was one of the only shops still open and bright) she glanced into the windows and frowned. Advertisements for the Weasley twins products were in the front windows. One of their more ridiculous sounding products was U-No-Poo, the ad on the window making fun of Voldemort. She mentally rolled her eyes, smirking and shaking her head. If they weren't careful, then that slogan could end them up in a lot of trouble. At least, that's something she was only mildly worried about.

The alley was damp and quiet, only a few wizards and witches talking quietly outside, dressed in dark clothing. Maya curiously peered at the remains of a charred building that a few others were looking at, although when they saw her they muttered to one another, nodded, and then left. She looked up at the sign and let out a soft gasp. It was Ollivander's, the shop where she'd got her wand, although what had happened to it wasn't too hard to tell. A fire, although what caused it was the mystery.

Not feeling ready to return to the Leakey Cauldron just yet, she stepped up to the door and opened it, wincing as it creaked when she opened and closed it. The glass in the front windows was. Glass, wood, and some rocks and dust crunched under her feet. It was dark, a few shelves having been knocked over. Maya felt her foot hit something and crouched down to pick up the wand box that she had picked up. Several were scattered about, each one burned to some extent, some nothing more than piles of ash.

"Why would someone do this?" Maya whispered to herself, stroking the half burned wand from the box. "I hope Mr. Ollivander is alright…" she muttered and set the box back on the floor, heading down to look at the fallen shelves and burned wood, although it wasn't a safe idea to be walking in here. The floorboards creaked every step she took, and part of her wondered if the building would collapse over her head (although that was mostly her being paranoid).

Maya jumped, whirling around to face the front of the store as she heard the door creak open. She was greeted by three surprised faces belonging to Potter, Granger, and Weasley. Taking a cautious step forward she tilted her head to one side, and crossed her arms. "W-What are you three doing here?" Maya asked quietly, not trying to sound confrontational, although Weasley definitely took it that way.

"Could as you the same thing, now, couldn't we?" Weasley snapped, taking a step towards her. Maya stopped and Potter put his arm out so that it hit Weasley's chest as he tried to go forward. Looking a little embarrassed, he stepped back to stand next to a mildly annoyed Granger. Maya gave Potter a grateful look and he nodded politely.

Potter and Maya had been on somewhat friendly terms, starting when she was sneaking the Inquisitorial Squad schedules to him for the D.A., and it seemed that Granger was also more friendly with her. Weasley was the only one unwilling to accept that she and Draco were two completely different people. "I assure you, Weasley —" Maya sighed and took a few more steps towards them so that she and the trio were face to face, "— I have no ill intentions. I'm just curious, that's all."

"So are we," Granger said quickly, before Weasley could say anything, although he had started to open his mouth. "Do you have any idea what could have happened here?" The three friends had begun to spread out in the store, and Granger was now standing beside Maya and examining a broken piece of wood, likely from the wall.

"A fire or explosion, quite obviously. But...beyond that, I haven't got a clue," Maya replied, kicking aside a pile of ash.

After a short moment of silence, Weasley called Potter over to the window, where he was staring out into the Alley. "Harry?" His best friend curiously stepped up to him. "Is it me or do Draco and mummy look like two people who don't want to be followed?" Upon hearing Draco's name, Maya stepped beside Potter to look out the window, Granger` looking over Weasley's shoulder.

In the Alley there stood two people, Draco — although he was taller, thinner, paler, and…sadder? — and his mother, who Maya recognized from meeting her at the Quidditch World Cup and from the photo of her and Draco in the Daily Prophet, which was the last time Maya had seen Draco since the end of their fifth year. Draco glanced around cautiously as his mother stepped down another alley, and then he followed her quickly.

"Know anything about that, Kensington?" Weasley asked her in an irritating tone, barely glancing back at her. There was a strange look on his face, a mix between curiosity and disgust.

Maya frowned, furrowing her brow. "No," she replied curtly. "I don't exactly know what he's doing every second of the day, Weasley." _At least not anymore…_ She was half tempted to call Weasley 'Weaselbee' (which Draco used to refer to him as in conversation), just to aggravate the red-headed Gryffindor, but she held back once she considered her who her present company was. It would only out her on bad terms with Potter and Granger, who were the somewhat bearable of the trio.

"Let's go," Potter said suddenly and exited the shop. Weasley followed without a second thought, but Granger and Maya exchanged concerned and bewildered looks before quickly following the two boys.

"What are we doing?" Maya asked as Potter and Weasley headed towards the alley. "Potter?"

"Following them, of course," Weasley whispered, and then he looked back at her and frowned. "Bit slow for a Ravenclaw, aren't you?"

"My House has nothing to do with it," Maya scoffed, stopping as Potter peered around the corner. "But if it did, then perhaps I was slower to realize that's what we were doing because it's an incredibly unintelligent and reckless idea to walk down a _dark alley_ after someone who hates you and — as a Ravenclaw — I'm smart enough to see that and can't possibly fathom why anyone would be stupid enough to do it?" She said it quickly and it earned her a confused look from Weasley. She smirked and lifted her head up.

"Shhh!" Potter and Granger both said as Potter started forward and the others followed. Maya crossed her arms, not liking this one bit, but followed them regardless. She wanted to make sure that they wouldn't get in a fight with Draco, already knowing that Granger had punched him a few years before and she didn't trust that their tempers wouldn't get the better of them — any of them — especially Draco and Potter.

The dark alley in question was extremely narrow, and only a few very small, dim lanterns provided any light. It didn't help that the sun was setting and the sky was overcast, making the alley eery. The people walking about were all mangy and old looking, rather frightening as well. Maya kept her arms crossed at her chest and looked around warily, keeping to whatever side the strangers were not on. "What is this place?" she asked quietly, looking around warily.

"Knockturne Alley," Potter whispered to her, slowing down a little so that Draco and his mother were unaware of the four of them being there.

Maya jumped back and suppressed a yelp as a scraggly, elderly lady reached out to her and brushed her overgrown fingernails across her knee. She shuddered and hurried past her, rubbing her upper arm nervously. "Who'd want to come to a place like this?" She looked a strange man who was muttering into a brick wall up and down and backed to one side, disturbed. He seemed not to notice anyone there, and Potter and Granger paid him little attention.

Draco followed his mother down a step and around a corner. A man ran past them, dragging barking dogs and squealing pigs. It startled Maya a little, and she hesitated as they went further into the alley. She wasn't incredibly brave, and she could see now that hanging around three of the most reckless Gryffindors (even by accident) was a mistake. Why would Draco be in a place like this? It was filthy and seemed too frightening for someone as

They paused as they reached a narrow flight of stairs that led into a dark alley and then slowly followed Draco and his mother as they walked down. After a few short twists and turns, the stairs came to an end. Draco and his mother were walking straight to a shop that had all of the lights on inside. The trio and Maya stopped, hiding in the shadows on the stairs and peering around a wall down at the pair. The sign read 'Borgin and Burkes - Established 1863'. Draco's mother opened the door that led inside. A little bell announced their arrival to anyone still in the shop. Draco started forward and then hesitated, shifting on his weight.

Maya sucked in a sharp breath, wondering if he could tell someone was watching them. But he didn't look towards them, and instead he followed his mother inside and shut the door behind him. The group remained in their hiding spot, watching the door. A light came on and was visible in a window from a second story. Potter backed up and then began to search for a way onto the roof.

It wasn't too hard, as the bricks were easy to climb and not too hard to reach. Potter and Weasley made it to the roof quickly, Weasley offering his hand for Granger. She scowled at him and clambered up on her own. Maya backed up, debating whether or not she wanted to climb up or not, but Potter told her to hurry up and she ran forward and jumped, reaching the edge. Then she climbed the rest of the way up. Slowly and quietly they crawled across the roof so that they had a clear view of the inside of the shop through the window.

Draco was there, closely examining a strange cabinet. He ran his hand along it, caressing the handle, the pattern, even lightly pushing against it. Maya wondered just what he was doing here, and what he was getting himself into. His mother suddenly came up beside him, taking his hand and whispering something to him. A figure suddenly moved in front of the window, obscuring their view.

The four of them quickly ducked down and froze, keeping quiet. Soon the light faded and when they risked another look, a shade had been pulled down to cover the window. Potter looked frustrated, and he waited a moment. Maya for one didn't want to be caught up on the roof, so she crawled back down and hopped off of the roof. The others appeared not long after.

"What was going on in there?" Weasley asked. Potter, Granger, and Maya shrugged. Maya wasn't sure how to process it. The other people in the shop looked as shady as the rest of the alley. It was creepy. And the expression Draco had was a mixture of anger, sadness, and fear. What _was_ going on?

Maya was quiet as she followed the others back to Diagon Alley. She was fidgeting with the necklace around her neck, the same one Draco had given her so many years ago. No one spoke to her until Potter grabbed her arm and stopped her from walking as Weasley and Granger continued on, laughing about something. Stunned, she just stared at him, startled from her trance. They were back in Diagon Alley. "Kensington, I need you to do a favor for me."

"Uhm…okay, Potter…erm…what is it?" Maya asked, blinking and shaking her head.

"I want you to help me keep an eye on Malfoy," Potter told her bluntly. "He's up to something and I'm going to figure out what. You and him are…close, which I for one find unusual. He trusts you, and maybe if you can get him talking —"

"Potter you — you didn't hear about it?" Maya wasn't too surprised honestly. She and Potter stayed out of each others lives. Potter shook his head. "Draco and I…we — well, we broke up. He got mad. Thinks that I had something to do with his father getting arrested and locked up in Azkaban. Argued, and well, one thing led to another. No big deal." She shrugged.

Potter looked unsure how to respond. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear about that. Never mind, then." He turned and followed after his friends, calling over his shoulder, "Bye, then, Kensington."

"Bye, Potter," Maya said, although it was barely loud enough for anyone to hear. Her thoughts quickly returned to Draco as she walked back to The Leakey Cauldron.

* * *

"You're telling me that you stalked your ex-boyfriend down a dark alley with his arch rivals?" Lewis wrinkled his nose and looked out at the scenery that flashed by as the train. Maya nodded distractedly. "Not the smartest thing you've ever done, but I've come to expect that of you." She pretended to be offended, but Lewis and Carol were laughing and it made it difficult to keep up the act.

She didn't laugh, though. A lot of things were on her mind, and Lewis had not helped matters by reminding her that it was his last year at Hogwarts. Maya had completely forgot, and it reminded her just how close they all were to finishing Hogwarts. Five years before, she was a scrawny eleven year old with no friends. That all changed. She met Lewis, Carol, and eventually befriended Draco. And now Lewis was in his last year, Draco refused to talk to her, and Carol would be the only extremely close friend that Maya had left at Hogwarts during her last year, unless Charles and Astoria decided to spend more time with them.

Her gaze travelled down to the cage where an owl was fluttering back and forth around its cage, making an agitated noise and attacking the bars. Aspen wasn't helping it by staring down at it like she wanted to eat him. Then Maya remembered the idea that she'd had for the owl's new home. She felt bad about not even naming him and now she had little to no reason to keep him. A conversation with Astoria the previous year had revealed that she wanted an owl, but couldn't convince her parents to let her have one.

The last thing Maya wanted to do was encourage Astoria to disobey her parents, but perhaps if Astoria could show her parents that she'd take care of it (and show them how well she did it during the school year) then they'd let her have the owl. "I'm going out for a little bit," Maya said, picking Aspen out of her lap and grabbing the owl's cage. "I need to go and make a delivery."

"Okay, then," Carol said, laughter fading. "Well, okay...see you soon." Maya nodded and opened the door to their compartment, shutting it just as Aspen tried to leap after the owl.

Maya wasn't sure where Astoria would be, although most of the Slytherins sat near each other. It's like they all preferred to travel in packs. The least amount that you'd find together would be two, and the twos that you'd see would mostly be younger, or extremely close friends, or a couple. Maybe Maya was just imagining things, but it seemed like that from her perspective.

She walked down a few cars before she came to one without any compartments. It had tables and booths, and most resembled a dining car on a muggle train. It wasn't, of course, but had the tables for it. Mostly Slytherins were here, though she spotted a few Huffepuffs. Maya spotted Astoria and Charles and started towards them, shoving past Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini on her way. She didn't bother stopping to apologize, but she did make brief eye contact with Zabini, and the glint in his eyes left her feeling a little uneasy.

Astoria came rushing over to her and the fourth year threw her arms around Maya, who took a step back to regain balance. "It's so good to see you!" Astoria said, squeezing her tightly. She finally let go and Maya was able to exhale. "I heard about how you and Malfoy broke up. Shame, really. I actually thought it would last…" Maya took some offense to Astoria's words, although she knew that they weren't meant to be offensive. "I figured you'd be sitting with Carol and your friend from Ravenclaw — what's his name?"

"His name's Lewis," Maya replied, glancing around. "And I _was_ sitting with them, but I came to give you something." She lifted the cage with the owl in it and Astoria's eyes widened. "I bought him for…letter sending, but I felt bad that he didn't have much purpose beyond that. Well, and Aspen keeps trying to attack him. I never named, so I thought I'd give him to you."

"Oh, he's beautiful!" Astoria gushed, sticking her index finger through the bars on the cage for the owl to lightly peck at. "But…my parents don't want us having pets. How am I supposed to keep him?"

Maya passed the cage to her, "I have an idea. Just take care of the owl all school year to show them you're responsible enough and when the summer holidays come around explain your point of view. If it doesn't work, then you can give him back to me and I'll find him a home if I can." Astoria nodded and smiled, Maya waving goodbye to the owl. "Take good care of him. I'll see you around."

"Bye, Maya!" Astoria said without taking her eyes of the owl. She turned around and raced to the table where Charles had just sat down, eagerly showing him the owl. Maya smiled and turned around to leave.

She froze as she nearly bumped into none other than Draco, and he stared down at her. At first, both appeared shocked, but Draco quickly scowled and snapped, "Watch where you're walking, Kensington." There was no affection in his voice, nor was there a teasing glint in his eyes like she had come to expect. Maya moved her mouth, but no words came out. Draco scoffed and shoved past her, shaking his head.

"Draco —" Maya started, walking after him. He glared at her when he heard his name and she sighed. "Okay, fine, you don't like that. How's this? _Malfoy_ , could you wait just a second." He pursed his lips and sucked in an annoyed breath, but offered an expectant look. He was listening. She bit her lip and thought about what Potter had requested. He wanted her to keep an eye on Draco. Not that she was complaining, as creepy as that seemed to her later on. "I'll have you know that I'm not going to let this be an awkward 'avoid each other until we die' kind of breakup."

Draco narrowed his eyes. Impatiently, he snapped, "Meaning _what_ , exactly?"

Maya took a few steps towards him so that the other students in the car couldn't overhear. "Meaning that you said we wouldn't work out as a couple, and maybe you were right. _But_ , you said nothing about being friends," she told him, lowering her voice. His expression went blank, and a frown started to play at his lips. "We were friends before. Why can't we go back to that?" Half of her actually did want to be his friend, the other half wanted to help Potter by finding out what he was up to. Or at least watch out for him.

Draco looked around nervously and tapped his foot, but he didn't say anything for a few seconds. When at last his response came, it was through gritted teeth and he refused to look at her, "I'll think about it."

"It's a start," she half-smiled. "I'll see you around, Draco." And with that, she spun around and went back the way she came. On her way out, she thought she felt something brush against her, but shook it off and kept walking.

* * *

Maya stepped out of the carriage and was greeted by Professor Flitwick, the extremely short Charms teacher and head of Ravenclaw House. He looked up at Carol, Maya, and Lewis and squinted slightly. "Names?" he asked, holding a list in one hand and a quill in the other. The three just stared at him, perplexed. " _Names_ ," Flitwick repeated, sterner this time. "No exceptions."

"Why do you need our names?" Maya asked, glancing up at a bunch of people who were examining bags and checking students. She frowned, "And who are those people over there, Professor?"

Flitwick turned slightly, following her gaze, then back to looking up at her through his round glasses. "Aurors. Just a precaution," he said gently. "No need to worry. Not with them around, anyways." His eyes narrowed, "Speaking of precautions. Names, please?"

They gave off their names and he finally let them pass over to where they could leave their bags for inspection. Filch was assisting the Aurors, and he glanced up and scowled as they approached. Carol and Maya greeted him politely, but he just ignored them, snarling slightly as they left their bags for him to look at. Professor Snape was also there, although Maya had no idea why.

The Auror's were also searching students, evidently, and Maya, Carol, and Lewis were forced to wait and find out if they were a threat to the school. In that time, Draco had shown up, looking his usual, bitter self. He gave Flitwick his name and walked forward. He was greeted by Snape, although it was far from a friendly exchange. Maya watched as grouchy Filch was sent over to examine Draco's luggage.

Carol and Lewis brought her attention back to them, stating that they were free to go. Maya hesitated, glancing over as Filch began to give Draco grief about something. Biting her lip, she fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve. "You two go ahead, alright? I'll meet you at the castle," Maya said quietly. They gave her questioning looks and she nodded towards Draco, "I'm going to keep him company. He looks like he could use it." Her friends exchanged exasperated looks, but didn't argue.

Maya approached Draco, Snape, and Filch, brushing up against Draco's arm briefly to comfort him before she moved to one side of Snape. The grouchy Potions master glared down at her, scowling. "Miss Kensington…" he said in an annoyed tone. "Shouldn't you be well on your way to the castle at this time?" Draco glanced up, half-listening to what they were saying.

"Actually, if it's alright with you, professor, I thought that I'd stay and keep him —" Maya nodded to Draco "— company." She rubbed her ankle with her foot and drummed her fingers on her thigh to relax herself so no stuttering would occur. Snape's eyes narrowed and one eyebrow was raised dubiously. "Or, if you don't want me to stay, then I can go ahead and just leave, that works too." Maya took a few steps back.

"You may stay if you'd like. It doesn't matter to me," Snape told her airily. He quickly looked away from her and stepped into Draco and Filch's bickering about Draco's walking stick, "I can vouch for Mr. Malfoy." Filch frowned, glancing disappointedly at Snape, then he reluctantly passed the walking stick to Draco. Snape wore an unreadable expression as Draco glared at the professor and then snatched his walking stick away from Filch.

Maya was worried for a minute that Draco, as aggressive as he was acting, would try and hit Filch with it. Judging solely by the way his nostrils flared, if Snape and the aurors and Flitwick hadn't been within range then he might have tried it. He looked over at the gate and smirked. Potter stood there, his nose crooked and swollen and bleeding. Maya winced, but Draco just shouted over to him sarcastically, "Nice face, Potter!"

With that, he marched off, pushing between Maya and Snape. Maya hurried after him after a moment's pause, having to jog to catch up and keep up with him. Draco slowed his walk after they got out of earshot from the professors. He stopped and put a firm hand on her shoulder, spinning her around to look at her. She blinked in surprise, tilting her head to one side. "There's a difference between trying to be friends and being a nuisance," he snapped. "I really hope that you don't plan on following me around the rest of the year."

"Oh, don't flatter yourself," Maya scoffed and turned around, marching forward. "I've got far more important and interesting things to do this year than follow you around like a lovesick fourteen year old. You aren't the center of the universe, contrary to how you may have been brought up to believe." The faint sound of him marching across gravel and grass could be heard as he followed after her, eventually walking beside her. He looked furious.

"And what, may I ask, do you have planned? Because up until you and I broke up, your entire life consisted of following me around, being followed by your ferret-rat-thing, reading, and schoolwork," he hissed.

Maya rolled her eyes, "You just made me sound incredibly boring and one-dimensional. I resent that."

"You didn't answer the question."

Sighing, she looked up at the somewhat cloudy evening sky, briefly closing her eyes in frustration. "It's none of your business, Malfoy," Maya said, wishing she was already at the castle. Why she had stayed with him to begin with. "You lost the right to know what takes place in my life, same as I lost the right to know what's happening in yours. You want to know so badly, then you have two options: wait and see for yourself or be a nicer person and maybe I'll tell you."

"You aren't going to do anything stupid, are you?" Draco asked, sounding mildly concerned. _Mildly_.

Maya only barely glanced at him, "I could ask _you_ the same thing. What happened over the summer? You've been acting odd."

"None of your business," he shot back, using the same phrase she had only moments before him.

She scowled, glaring at him. "Very well, then," Maya said to him with a stiff nod. "You can have your secrets and your life and I won't try and pry, so long as you offer the same respect to me." He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Look, neither one of us have to know what the other is doing every second of every day or be in each others company constantly, but if you need a friend or someone to talk to, then I'm always going to be there, Draco."

"Well, isn't that just _touching_? Pfft! More like _pathetic_ ," a familiar voice sneered before Draco could reply, and Maya and Draco both looked up to see Pansy waiting at the end of the path. Maya hadn't realized just how far they had come, nearly at the steps leading into Hogwarts and up to the Great Hall. Pansy's gaze softened when she saw Draco, and smiling warmly, she held out her hand for him to take. "Draco…" she purred, and Draco visibly tensed. "Blaise went on ahead, but I wanted to wait for you."

Draco stode forward after a moment's hesitation, sucking in a sharp breath and wiping a grimace off his face. He took Pansy's hand and Maya, eyes wide with disbelief, groaned in disgust as Draco kissed Pansy's cheek and then wrapped his arms around her shoulder, letting go of her hand and pulling her close. Through what sounded like gritted teeth, he told her, "Thank you, love…"

Maya felt like she was going to vomit, but bit her tongue and straightened up. She wasn't going to let herself be jealous, after all, Draco was free to kiss and/or date whoever he wished now that they weren't together. _Just like I do…_ a voice in the back of her head echoed, and Maya resisted the urge to smirk in victory, reminding herself that she hadn't won yet. Then she frowned. It wouldn't be fair to use someone as a tool just to make Draco jealous. Maya, although a little upset that she had to remember that, hung her head, realizing that the spiteful thought was — although an effective idea — a horrible thing to put someone through. There were other ways to get back at Draco, and dating someone else to make him upset wasn't the way to go about it.

"What's the matter, Kensington?" Draco asked suddenly, wearing a contemptuous, victorious smile that almost matched the one that Pansy had. "You look like you just drank an entire bottle of spoiled pumpkin juice or something." Pansy began to laugh as if that was the funniest thing she ever heard, and Maya clenched her fists. Draco kissed Pansy's cheek again, making eye contact with Maya as he did.

Using someone may not have been Maya's style, but it certainly seemed that Draco had no qualms about it. Pansy was, quite possibly, a tool. Although, that didn't make sense. Draco broke up with Maya, so why would _he_ want _her_ jealous? Maybe it was a normal breakup thing that happened, maybe Maya was looking too much into things. There was something else in Draco's eyes that also seemed odd. Something was troubling him, and it wasn't his 'mourning' over their breakup. Whatever it was, it might've been the reason he went to Pansy. He wanted some sort of comfort or affection.

"Come on, Draco," Pansy giggled and pulled on Draco's arm, pulling Maya from her thoughts. "We're going to be late." With one last, bitter look at Maya, the new couple set off to Hogwarts, leaving Maya to continue the rest of the way alone, clenching her fists the whole way. By the time she arrived, just after she saw the pair take their seats at the Slytherin table, her palms were sore and raw from her nails digging into them.

Maya sat down at the Ravenclaw table, across from Lewis, just as the sorting ceremony for the first years begun. Lewis, wearing a concerned expression, asked her in a hushed voice, "Are you doing okay, Maya? You look like you're ready to single-handedly fight off You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters!" Maya shot him a quizzical (but still angry) look and he shrugged. "Sorry."

The sorting hat was placed upon the first new student's head, and Maya stared down at her empty plate, uninterested in the ceremony. Lowering her voice and leaning forward slightly, she told Lewis, "Something isn't right with Draco."

"Has anything _ever_ been right with that jerk?" Lewis asked, holding back laughter. Maya kicked his shin and he let out a quiet yelp. "Okay…sorry. Go on and I'll pretend that I care about Malfoy's wellbeing." Maya rolled his eyes. Leave it to Lewis to make every serious moment as ridiculous as he could, especially if it concerned someone he didn't like.

"I mean something _really_ isn't right," Maya hissed. She looked back at the Slytherin table, where Draco had his elbow set on the table, chin resting in his hand. In his other hand, he was fidgeting with his wand. He looked depressed, and as uninterested in the Sorting as Maya and Lewis presently were. His eyes, from what she could see, were dull and it was like he was in another world. "He looks half dead," she observed, turning back toward's an extremely skeptical Lewis.

Lewis began to pluck at the tines of his fork, making a soft twanging sound. "Sooo, aside from looking like he normally does…?" Maya kicked him again. He left the fork alone and half-snapped, half-laughed as he pointed his finger at her, wincing in pain. "That one wasn't necessary!" Lewis whined, reaching under the table to rub his knee where she'd kicked him.

"Yes it was," Maya declared, crossing her arms and tilting her head back, smirking.

"Give me one good reason!"

"You're as much of an arse as Draco is, now shut up and listen…uh, please…" Maya lowered her voice again as some of the older students glared at the pair. Leaning back towards the table, she began to count on her fingers. "He's acting all lovey-dovey with Parkinson. He looks like somebody just banned him from ever eating sweets again. He's acting like Snape and Filch are the bane of his existence, which — fair enough — those two are the bane of _everyone's_ existence, but I thought Draco actually liked and respected Snape. And didn't he and Filch work together on the Inquisitorial Squad last year?"

Lewis nodded. "But, you can work with someone and not like them. My father spent a lot of time working with this one guy and they fought constantly, but at work they set it aside so everything was efficient and nothing went wrong. But, that's a different story, so go on about how Malfoy is moving on from you and you're upset about it." Maya felt hurt by his last statement, even though there was some truth to it, and Lewis was quick to apologize. "Sorry. Was that too much?"

Maya shook her head, blinking, "Forget about it."

"I didn't mean —"

" _No_ , Dumbledore's starting his speech. We'll worry about it later." Maya said firmly, and Lewis's mouth snapped shut just as Dumbledore began talking and they both gave Dumbledore their full attention.

The aging headmaster stepped onto his normal podium to give his speech, gray beard tinted a slight orange by the candles that hovered above. "The very best of evenings to you all," he said cheerfully and everyone turned to face him. Did anything ever really upset this man? Maya wondered as she tilted her head to one side and listened. "First off, let me introduce the newest member of our staff…"

"Here it comes…" Maya whispered to Lewis and he nodded. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professors usually only lasted a year, and they had as long as Maya had attended Hogwarts. They said the job was cursed, as everybody who worked had been forced to leave by either dying, losing their memory, some personal issue, being a Death Eater posing as someone else, or being an absolutely evil witch with harsh and painful tortures for punishments. While Maya was skilled with the subject, she only had a liking for two of the teachers as a majority of them were awful.

"…Horace Slughorn," Dumbledore gave the name of the man after a short pause and at the staff table, Slughorn stood up and smiled, waving as everyone began to clap as usual. Then, much to Maya's surprise, he announced, "Professor Slughorn, I'm happy to say, has agreed to resume his old post as Potions Master. Meanwhile, the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts will be taken by Professor Snape." Scattered and surprised applause came from the different tables, most of them from Slytherins and a few from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. The Gryffindors stayed quiet.

Maya glanced over at the Slytherin table curiously, and everyone was applauding except for Draco, who kept a blank stare at the table. That was surprising. She thought that he respected Snape and, of all people, Draco would be the most pleased. But he kept quiet. Lewis got back at Maya for earlier by kicking her heel and bringing her attention away from Draco. He shook his head, "Let it go. Malfoy's expression hasn't changed since he got here, okay?"

"Now, as you know," Dumbledore went on. "Each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight. And you have the right to know why." Maya straightened up, curious to hear his reasoning. The way Dumbledore started, however, hinted at a short story. "Once there was a young man who, like you, sat in this very hall. Walked this castle's corridors. Slept under its roof. He seemed, to all the world, a student like any other. His name? Tom Riddle." He paused a moment as everyone processed.

The students, as soon as the words had left Dumbledore's mouth, began to gasp and chatter to each other in fear and shock. Once it settled down, Dumbledore sighed, "Today, of course, he's known all over the world by another name. Which is why, as I stand looking out upon you all tonight, I am reminded of a sobering fact." Another pause and Dumbledore began to wrap up his speech, "Every day, every hour, this very minute perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle's walls. But, in the end, their greatest weapon…is you." It was as if the entire hall was holding its breath. "Just something to think about," he said softly. "Now, off to bed! Pip pip!"

The students all began to stir from their seats, careful not to bump into anybody else as they all grouped together to follow their prefects back to the common room. Maya followed the Ravenclaw group, talking to Lewis on the way up. Lewis was avoiding their earlier topic, likely so she'd eventually drop it and move on. But Maya wasn't ready to give it up.

Maya and Lewis were, as always, the last ones awake in the Common Room. It wasn't as if they were up past curfew or anything, most of the others had simply gone to bed early to get a head start on classes the next morning. Mostly first years went to bed early using that as their excuse, eager to get started as soon as they could.

Lewis was sitting at a table, writing a letter to his family. Maya was curled up in a chair reading a book. It was quiet. Maya put the book down and looked over to her friend, his back facing her. "I'm going to help Potter. You remember on the train when I told you that he wanted me to keep an eye on Draco? I'm going to do just that," Maya said. She saw Lewis tense just before he spun around on the seat.

"You're going to do _what_?" His voice echoed slightly as he raised his voice. Maya shushed him, and he took a few angry, shaky breaths. "Can you just stop obsessing over Malfoy for two seconds?" Lewis asked in a gentler voice. "He wants nothing to do with you, and yet you keep insisting on knowing what he's doing and being his 'friend' or whatever."

"He's not getting off that easy. You can't spend three or four years building a friendship with someone and then just cut it off because you get mad. Maybe a romantic relationship wasn't the best for us, but I'm not going to never speak to him again!" Maya told him, checking to make sure that no one was listening to their conversation. "Draco was one of my best friends, just like you and Carol are," she explained. "I don't want to forget about him and have every interaction be awkward or aggressive."

Lewis pressed his fingers to his temple and closed his eyes. "So you're going to be his friend so you can help his enemy, but also so you can be his friend? You have the strangest logic sometimes, Maya. I don't think that even Luna could find sense in that. I know I can't." Maya scoffed and lifted her book back up and pretended to start reading again. "Whatever ridiculous thing you decide to do, just don't get caught," Lewis advised before going back to his letter.

Maya smirked as she began to properly plan and read every now and then. Lewis eventually finished his letter and went to bed, and Maya wasn't too far behind him as she went to her own dormitory. Her roommates were long asleep, so she changed into her nightgown and crawled into bed. Aspen hopped up and curled onto her chest. Maya drifted off to sleep after an hour or so of her late night scheming.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four (Year Six): Potions Class and Quidditch Tryouts

The next morning at breakfast, Maya barely ate anything. She wished she knew when the mail would come, as she was expecting a package. Lewis took notice of this and tried his best to find out what was going on with her. "What're you hiding this time?" he asked through a mouthful of eggs. Swallowing, he surveyed the hall. "Malfoy is over there, so it doesn't look like you're waiting for _him_ to show up, which is surprising given our conversation last night. Carol is sitting with her house, so you aren't waiting for _her_. But you are _waiting_ for someone or something."

"I'm waiting for the mail," Maya sighed, moving her scrambled eggs around her plate, bored. "Not like it's any of your business. Nosy." She began to tap the fork rhythmically, until some other people at her table glared at her after a few minutes and she sheepishly stopped. "If I wait for another twenty minutes then I'll be late for Potions," she mused to herself. "I might as well just give up on the mail arriving any time soon. Or today, for that matter. Why don't they have a schedule or something?"

Lewis shrugged downing his glass of water. "Dunno," was his reply as he checked his watch and pushed his empty plate aside. He propped his elbow up and leaned into his hand. "I have a few more minutes before I have to go to class, so can you try to be more entertaining company and talk about things besides mail?"

"Actually, I'm going to Potions, now," Maya said and she stood up. Lewis quickly sat up, eyes widening and mouth dropping.

"Why? You don't have to be there for another twenty minutes or so!" Lewis protested. Maya ignored him and gathered up her books.

She pointed towards all of the first years that had suddenly stood up and began to gather their own books clumsily. "I'm going _now_ because I don't want to fight all of _that_ ," Maya '54smirked and brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear. "Nervous and exited first years who have no idea where they're supposed to go all grouped together and trying to figure it out in surprisingly cramped hallways. No thanks." She spun on her heel and hurried out of the hall before the first years could get in front of her, and before she turned out of the door, she saw Lewis scramble to his feet and grab his books.

Without any other students to fight, which was surprising (she expected to see at least somebody out and about), it was a lot easier to get to the Potions classroom. The door was slightly ajar when she arrived, so she knocked in case someone was inside. It was a bit unusual when she heard flustered Professor Slughorn answer the knock instead of rude Professor Snape. "Er, come in!" Slughorn called, followed by a sudden thud. "Oh, oof! Ouch…"

"Professor?" Maya pushed the door open and stepped inside, surprised. The Potions classroom was usually dark and miserable, but it seemed to have a few more lights added or something. Whatever Slughorn had done, it had greatly improved the appearance of the room. And it wasn't that much different. "Professor, are you alright?" She blinked and focused on Slughorn, who was sitting in one of the chairs, rubbing his knee.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, quite alright, young lady!" he said with a little laugh, standing up and cautiously applying pressure to his leg. "I was rearranging these shelves over here and I hit my knee against that table. Hehe, it hurt, but nothings too beaten up. I'll walk it off. Umm…who are you, exactly?" Slughorn squinted at her, one hand fidgeting with a button on his coat and the other hanging at his side.

Maya stood there for a moment. "Uhh…right...I'm Maya Kensington," she replied and offered him her hand to shake. He stared down at her hand and then slightly dazed and confused he looked back at her face before he hesitantly stepped forward and shook her hand. Slughorn seemed like a nervous and somewhat bumbling old man. Maya gave a polite smile. "Do you need any help or are you done rearranging your shelves?"

Slughorn squinted again and turned around to look at the shelves. "Hmm, no, I think I'm done. If you can just find a seat before the rest of the class gets here, I have to go and check on the final potions that I started to show as an example in class." He waddled off and over to a cauldron where he examined one of them and then, waving some smoke away first, he stirred it a little counter clockwise and then let it alone.

Maya, bored and feeling awkward, buried her nose in the potions book she had and began to skim read, flipping through the different pages. It probably wouldn't make much sense if she read ahead, and it's not like she'd improve her grades much by doing so, but the 'reading' gave her something to do. "Studious, aren't you?" Slughorn asked, making her jump and slam the book shut. He chuckled half-heartedly. "Of course, I suppose it may have something to do with you being a Ravenclaw and all. Rarely do I see a Ravenclaw without something they can read, be it magazine, newspaper, or a…a book…yes…" He trailed off nervously and Maya just nodded and looked around, hoping that someone else would show up.

It was a good while before any of her classmates finally decided to show up. Hermione Granger and another Gryffindor girl entered the classroom, and then a group of Slytherins stepped inside. Pansy was chatting with Draco and Theodore Nott, Draco standing with the two of them on either side. He seemed more or less indifferent of everything that they were saying, his arms crossed.

She groaned. Dealing with Slughorn's strange behavior and awkwardness around everyone seemed favorable to putting up with Pansy practically drooling over Draco. "Good morning, class!" Slughorn greeted everyone as they took their places by the table that held all of the potions he had made. Maya followed them over, resting herself between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins.

Maya spent the first half of class taking down some notes, something which Slughorn didn't frown upon like Snape had. Before the second half started, Potter and Weasley stepped inside and everyone looked up at them curiously. Potter introduced himself and Weasley attempted to slip out, but Potter stopped him. Granger looked mildly amused but mostly she seemed aggravated. She was friends with two people who were — in Maya's opinion — pretty annoying.

Slughorn informed them that they could help themselves to any books left in the cupboard and the pair walked over to the open cupboard where the spare Potions books were kept. Maya watched them go and then turned her attention back to Slughorn as he went on with his lecture. "Now, as I was saying," Slughorn said, "I've prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be?"

Granger's hand shot into the air as it usually did. Maya almost wished she could be as smart as Granger was, always knowing the answer in class. Slughorn and the rest of the class focused on the Gryffindor, "Yes, miss…?"

"Granger, sir." Without another word, she marched over to the table where the potions were and began to list them. "That one there is Veritaserum. It's a truth telling serum. And that one's Polyjuice Potion. It's terribly tricky to make. And this one's Amortentia," Granger looked at the only one remaining, glanced at Slughorn, and then back at the potion. "The most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumored to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them." A pause and Maya saw Granger swallow, "For example I smell freshly mown grass, new parchment and…spearmint…toothpaste." She backed away from it, blushing slightly.

Slughorn, smiling, went on as several of the girls in the class, Parkinson included, drifted towards it. Maya stayed put where she was, but did risk a good sniff. "Now, Amortentia doesn't create actual love, that would be impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession…" Slughorn let the girls continue towards it, slowly as if it was pulling it towards them. Maya cocked her head towards the cauldron and sniffed again, trying to figure out what she smelled, hoping she didn't look like she was in a daze. There was the smell of old books, wet pine trees, and the third smell was difficult. It smelled like apples and another smell that she couldn't make out. Maya glanced over at Draco briefly and frowned. Wasn't that the way his hair gel smelled? "…Probably the most dangerous potion in this room."

She felt herself snap out of a strange trance as the lid to the potion was placed back onto the cauldron. Somebody nudged her away and she looked up to find Draco giving her a bewildered and annoyed look. "Could you back up, Kensington? You" he whispered harshly as another student asked Slughorn a question about the unnamed potion in an incredibly small vial.

"Oh, yes," Slughorn leaned down and unscrewed the small vile from where it was hung from. "What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen, is a curious little potion known as Felix Felicis. But it is more commonly referred to as —"

"Liquid Luck," Granger blurted out, not even giving the man a chance to finish. Maya felt a prickle of annoyance. If she had wanted Hermione Granger as a teacher, then she would have suggested to Dumbledore that he make her the Potions teacher instead of Slughorn.

"Yes, Miss Granger," said Slughorn, not at all phased by Granger's interruption. Maybe Maya was overreacting. "Liquid Luck. Desperately tricky to make, disastrous should you get it wrong. One sip and you'll find that all your endeavors succeed." At these words, Draco looked up from staring at his feet and suddenly he had given Slughorn his full attention. "At least until the effects wear off," Slughorn smiled, holding the vial up for all to see. "So, this is what I offer each of you today. One tiny vial of Liquid Luck for the student who — in the hour that remains — manages to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death. Recipe of which can be found on page ten of your books."

Everyone in the class immediately opened their books and flipped the pages until they reached page ten. "I should point out, however, only once did a student brew a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize." He paused and smiled at them, "Nevertheless, good luck to you all. Let the brewing commence!" The class immediately spread out throughout the room, two or three students at each table, although at some there were four.

Maya was the only one without someone else at her table, all of the Slytherins and Gryffindors stuck to their own houses and the only other Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws went off on their own as well. She read her book's instructions, firstly checking to make sure that all of her ingredients were there. Then she read off the first instruction. 'Cut up one Sopophorus bean.' Maya reached for the bean. It was oval and dark in color. She set it beside her cauldron and reached for a knife. When she tried to cut it, it began to dance before the knife made any sort of mark on it. Maya groaned in frustration and glanced up as someone else's bean flew across the room and nearly hit a shelf behind Slughorn, but he caught just in time.

She began to tap her knife on the table as she held the bean to keep it from spinning away and closed her eyes thoughtfully. "Okay, think outside the box…" Maya whispered to herself, examining the bean. "Look for a different way. Be creative. If it doesn't work to cut it…" She glanced at the knife and twisted it around so that the flat side was facing the ceiling. Then she set the bean down and put the flat side of the knife onto the bean and lightly applied pressure to it. It crunched and some juice spilled out but it didn't move away. "That's it!" She had to crush it, it seemed.

Just across the classroom, she heard Potter say to Granger, "Crush it, don't cut it!" And he glanced at his book when she protested, grinning like an idiot. Seemed he had the same idea, although he didn't have a clear view of Maya so he would have gotten it from elsewhere. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and went about brewing her potion.

Whenever an instruction didn't make sense to her or something wasn't working out, she adjusted it or improvised. By the end of class, she had completed the potion although she noticed some flaws off the bat. It was a murky greenish-brown in color and it wasn't as liquid as it should have been, and around the sides of the cauldron it created a strange crust. Perhaps she made a mistake along the way, misreading an instruction or something. Frustration and the heat and humidity of the room made her set the book down on the table abruptly, brushing a strand of now frizzy hair out of her eyes.

The rest of the class gathered as Potter — having perfectly brewed the potion — was presented the vial by Slughorn, earning a brief and stern warning to 'use it well'. Slughorn began to clap and then the rest of the class joined in, with the exception of the Slytherins. Most seemed bitter and annoyed or disappointed, Draco on the other hand looked absolutely livid and embarrassed. Potions was — usually — his domain, the one class he seemed to enjoy.

As the class ended their applauding of Potter, Maya gathered up her books and headed out after the Gryffindors did, following slowly. The Slytherins were behind her and she heard Pansy giggle and then call after her once they were out in the halls and Slughorn wasn't able to hear her, "Hey, Kensington! Where'd you get the product you put in your hair? I'd love to have mine look that frizzy!"

"Shove off, Parkinson," Maya growled, clutching her books close to her. Pansy and the others chuckled, but Draco continued to look at his feet for some reason. He looked depressed. Maya stopped and concerned and in an attempt to get on his good side she asked, "Draco, are you alright?" He glanced up at her and his frown turned into a scowl before he looked back down. She watched them leave and went off for her next class.

* * *

"I thought that you hated Quidditch?" Carol asked as she passed Maya her broom in the locker rooms. Maya had ordered one a while back, requesting that it be sent to her at Hogwarts, not wanting anyone (specifically her family) to actually know she had plans to tryout, but it hadn't arrived yet, so Maya went to Carol and Carol allowed Maya the use of her broom. "Why the sudden desire to tryout for it?"

Maya finished buttoning up the robes and and took the broom, leaning it against the bench as she pulled her shoes back on and then pulled out her hair tie so she could pull her hair out of its usual messy bun and into a tighter bun so that all of it was out of her face and she could focus on not falling to her death. "Well, everyone suggested that I find a distraction from Draco, so I bought a book on Quidditch and studied it over the summer," Maya explained, standing up and examining the broom. "I've assessed that I'd be a decent Keeper or Chaser, based on drills that I did at home on a…well, on a normal, muggle broom, but we'll see."

"Best of luck then," Carol shrugged and offered a reassuring smile.

Sighing, she held the broom close and and held her arms out, "How do I look?"

Carol chuckled. "You look fine," she patted Maya's shoulder and gave her a light shove. "Go on, then. Let me see what sort of challenge I'll have this year against Ravenclaw."

Maya grinned and gave a quick nod before she left the locker room and stepped out onto the pitch. It was a cloudy, cold, and foggy Saturday morning. The rest of the Ravenclaw team, all wearing matching blue and bronze uniforms, were chatting with each other. Cho Chang, Ravenclaw's seeker, was the new team Captain and when she spotted Maya she said, "Ah, yes. I was wondering when you'd get here. Go stand over there, I'm about to get started."

Joining the crowd of Ravenclaws, she kept to herself and glanced up at the stands. Mostly a few Ravenclaws sat in the stands, at least the ones interested in the sport. Maya sighed and saw a few of her housemates mutter something along the lines of, "I've only ever seen her show up at Slytherin or Hufflepuff matches. Doesn't care about Quidditch unless Malfoy or her best friend is out there."

She rolled her eyes and felt relief as Cho explained that she was going to asses their strengths with drills and inform them of the results. Maya mounted her broom and held back a yelp as it lifted off the ground. She paused, regained herself, and then flew forward to take her position. She wanted to try out for Chaser, and she had told Cho of this, so Cho had her do a few drills and practice getting the Quaffle past the keeper.

It took a while before Maya had actually gotten herself relaxed and got the hang of moving around, but she found that once she had it came simple. A light press onto the handle of the broom and it went forward, and she simply had to look where she wanted to go and keep a hand on the broom and it'd go wherever she asked it to. Maya was convinced that these things had a mind of their own, though. Like a horse. The slightest bit of discomfort or lack of confidence and it gave a sudden jerk to the side to bring her back into focus.

Just before tryouts had ended, Maya had gone to land as the others finished up and she slipped off a couple of feet and landed in such a way that she ended up with a sprained wrist. Wincing, she found herself approached by Cho as the tryouts ended, "I'm going to consider putting you down as a possible substitute. No guarantees that you'll actually make it to a match or even to the reserves. You've got…potential, but you lack experience and the proper, well…you don't have the heart for it."

"Okay," Maya wasn't expecting to get on the team, really only wanting to test out how good she was. If anything, it'd be nothing more than a hobby. Right now she was focusing on her wrist. "I wasn't expecting much, honestly. I'm gonna head out now, alright?" Cho nodded and Maya set off, picking up Carol's broom and heading back to the locker room to change into her usual weekend clothes. In hindsight, Quidditch was not the best distraction for Maya. Maybe she could take up painting or work on reading every book in the library. _I'll figure something out_.

Maya returned Carol's broom to her and started towards the library to begin her massive library reading session. She was a fast reader, and if she read five books a week all year, then she might be able to finish half the library by June. Maybe. Maya was only decent when it came to muggle mathwork. On her way, she saw Draco. He saw her and changed course, only instead of going away from her, he went towards her. "What happened to your wrist?" he demanded in his own special kind of concern, pointing at the sling that Maya had made out of her quidditch shirt. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He realized that it was a shirt and saw the coloration. "You're a clumsy fool that despises Quidditch with a fiery passion and so you go and try out for the team?"

"You have no right to get mad or protective about anything that I decide to do from now on, Draco Malfoy," Maya snapped at him. "I thought I told you that neither one of us held that right anymore." He snorted contemptuously. "It also might interest you to know that I very likely did not make the team. _Now_ , if you'll excuse me —" Draco held his arm out and she could see some sort of conflicted look in his eyes. "Let me go."

Draco sighed in frustration. "Look, I still care about you, Kensington," he snapped. Maya scoffed at him. "I don't want to see you get hurt, I guess." He moved his arm away, "Go ahead. You're free. Guess the offer on being friends — or even being civil with one another — expired." Maya stared at him for a moment and he turned to leave, shaking his head.

"Draco, wait..." He stopped and tapped his foot impatiently, not turning around. "The offer still stands."

He finally turned towards her, wearing a depressed and what Maya noticed for the first time as a tired expression. "I might just take you up on it, then."

"Goodnight, Draco."


	35. Chapter 35

Author's Note:

 _I tried to get back to my usual five-seven day updating schedule, but I failed miserably. But, here's a brand new chapter for ya'll._ _And I introduce someone who later may play an important role in the story (and someone who also deserves more attention in the HP fanfiction world)!_

 _And, early Happy Halloween to those who celebrate it._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Five (Year Six): The Greengrass Confrontation

Maya pulled off her gloves as she stepped into The Three Broomsticks. She turned to Astoria who had been her companion to Hogsmeade. "Thanks for coming shopping with me. I know buying quills isn't the most entertaining thing in the world."

"It's no problem, really," Astoria shrugged, smiling. She was probably the nicest Slytherin that Maya knew, aside from Carol's brother, Charles. "Now, I'm just ready for some butterbeer. I've got loads of new stuff to tell you that all happened over the summer all the way up to this morning, and I think you'll find it very interesting. I'll find us a table if you'll get us the drinks?"

"Pfft, of course! Your wish is my command," Maya replied sarcastically, holding out her hand to her unlikely friend. "You're paying for your own, Miss Bossy." Astoria sighed and reluctantly handed her the amount of the price for one butterbeer. "Thank you." Maya headed over to the counter to order, at least that way she and Astoria wouldn't be interrupted by a waiter coming to ask and deliver their drinks. She would have been hanging out with Lewis and Carol, but Carol had the flu after Quidditch practice in the rain and Lewis had gotten detention for being caught in the library after hours, so Astoria, a fourth year student and friend of Maya's since the previous year, went along with her.

She reached the bar and the lady behind it asked, "What can I get for you?"

"Two butterbeers, please," Maya replied, dropping Astoria's coins and her own onto the counter, sliding them forward for the woman to take. "One regular and one with some mint in it, please." A raised eyebrow, but the money was accepted and within a few moments, the drinks were set on the bar for Maya to take. "Thank you," she said and picked them up, carrying them over to the table where she passed Astoria the mint free one and then sat down with hers. "Now, what was this you were saying about having 'loads' to tell me?"

Astoria took a large gulp of her butterbeer and set it on the table, licking the froth from around her mouth. Maya rolled her eyes and slowly sipped on hers as Astoria began to tell every detail of her summer, then began to talk about the owl Maya had given her (she named him Merlin), and then she talked about the recent Slytherin drama. Evidently, Draco had been paying less attention to Pansy than usual, Pansy got mad, Draco broke things off with her, and Pansy was now dating Theodore Nott. "Oh, and you'll never guess who's recently taken a fancy to you!" Astoria whispered, glancing around quickly.

Maya, having been forced to pretend that she was interested, suddenly perked up. "Who?" Her question was a little more frightened than anything. The last thing she wanted was someone to start chasing after her.

"Blaise Zabini, which is really weird," Astoria replied. "Pureblood family. Ugh, you wouldn't believe how many dinner parties I've been dragged along to at his mother's house. She's filthy rich, right up there with the Malfoys, and as such, her son is well-respected. Eh…sort of. He's pretty well-known in Slytherin. Anyways, he likes blood purity a whole lot. He's actually kinda like Draco. Really kinda nice when you get to know him. He has a rough exterior, that's all."

"Okay? You're telling me this because…?" Maya was growing uninterested once again.

"Well…because he just walked in and I overheard him ask Draco if he'd be bothered by him asking you out, since you're Draco's ex-girlfriend and you wouldn't want it to be awkward, y'know?" Astoria looked up and towards the door and sure enough, Maya turned around to see the very subject of the conversation striding over to their table. Maya tilted her head to the side as he stopped at the table. "Hi, Zabini!" Astoria greeted him cheerfully. He replied with a curt nod.

Blaise looked to Maya, "Mind if I have a seat?"

"Umm…sure, I guess," Maya told him. It was weird. She never thought that Blaise would actually show some sort of interest in her. From what she knew, he had a thing for Daphne Greengrass, Astoria's older sister. She looked at Astoria as if to ask the question, but Astoria shrugged and took another swig of butterbeer. Mildly disgusted, Maya drummed her fingers on her glass. "So, umm…Blaise? Pardon me for sounding rude, but…why did you want to sit here?"

"I'm not staying long, actually, as I agreed to meet Theodore and Pansy to go to the Shrieking Shack," Blaise told her. "I actually came to ask you something, Kensington. Next Hogsmeade weekend, I was wondering if you'd be interested in coming with me? We can do whatever you'd like, and get to know each other better." Maya glanced nervously from him to Astoria. Blaise seemed genuine, and this was a side that Maya hadn't seen from him during their brief encounters.

"Well, I-I'm flattered, Blaise —" Maya started.

"So you will?" He interrupted before she could finish and his somewhat hopeful expression made her rethink her question. Something was a little off about his behavior, as from what Draco had told her about him, he was pretty indifferent towards just about everyone. She had learned a little more about him back during her and Lewis's argument when she spent the majority of her time with the Slytherins. Lewis told her she needed to move on from Draco. Quidditch wasn't the answer and trying to start reading the entire library seemed a little obsessive. Maybe if she started over with Blaise and got to know him better, then she might be open to dating him or something like that.

Maya bit her lip, "Umm…yeah, sure. I'll be looking forward to it."

"Excellent. I'll see you then, of course, I'm always looking for a studying partner if ever you're available," Blaise said as he stood up. Maya nodded, considering that. He looked to Astoria and nodded again before he said goodbye and left the pub.

Astoria giggled. "It's kind of funny. Or cute. I don't know…" Maya rolled her eyes as Astoria continued her giggle fit for a good three minutes (she timed it) before the giggling ended and Astoria attempted to catch her breath.

"Are you done yet?" Maya asked with a blank expression. Astoria's cheeks were tinted purple and red, likely from laughing so hard. "It's just a friendly outing. Maybe I can convince him to be nicer to people if I get to know him and study with him." Maya told her, crossing her arms.

"Right," Astoria snorted. "Just like you tried with Draco? Also, we all know what went down during your and _Draco's_ study sessions. Wonder if Blaise is the same way." She tilted her head towards the door, a teasing smirk playing on her lips.

Maya rolled her eyes, frowning, "For the record, that happened one time and we barely kissed. And you wouldn't know about it if Madam Pince hadn't caught us and berated us for 'endangering books with saliva' or some ridiculous thing like that. It was a single kiss, harmless enough. You'd have thought we were playing with fire near them or something."

"Whatever you say." Astoria smirked.

* * *

"You look fine, Maya…" Carol rasped from her bed in the Hospital Wing. A pile of crumpled tissues laid on the bedside table, spilling over onto the floor. The flu was going away slowly, as Carol originally was unable to talk without breaking into a coughing or sneezing fit. Maya had stopped by to visit her to get an opinion on what she had decided to wear to on her date with Blaise. "Of course, it's pretty much just what you normally wear outside of classes."

Maya dropped her hands and frowned. Jeans, grandfather's old jacket, Ravenclaw scarf. Carol was right. Of course, she wasn't really going for dressing up. It was cold outside and she was trying not to seem desperate to have a boyfriend. Not that she was sure that she and Blaise would actually get along. She was actually pretty suspicious of his sudden change of heart towards her. "That's fine. It's what I was going for. Normal, right? Seems…okay, right?"

Carol yawned and leaned back. "Sure, whatever you say." She glanced at the clock and then told Maya, "You'd better go. I'm sure that the others will be setting off soon." There was a fit of coughing and Maya gave her a sympathetic look.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay and keep you company?" Maya asked her and Carol shook her head. "Okay, if you're sure." Starting to the door, she paused and turned back around. "I almost forgot: Lewis is coming by with some of your books to help you for when classes start back. Apparently, most of the professors insisted that you get some homework done now that you're feeling better. I heard Professor Sprout argue that you needed to recover more, but they came to an agreement eventually." Carol smiled weakly and rolled her eyes a little. Maya chuckled, "I'll come by when I get back. Bye, Carol!"

She heard her friend say goodbye just before she closed the doors behind her on her way out. Maya had let Aspen roam outside that day, and she caught a glimpse of her bothering a bird as she passed through the courthouse. The bird was squawking angrily at Aspen, but the marten persisted and batted at it. Maya let them be. Aspen had never tried to hurt a bird before, and she'd done the same movements with owls when she would try to play.

The other students (third years and above) were already well on their way down to Hogsmeade, and as Maya made her way out of the courtyard, she could see the end of the line, where the exited third years were being ushered along by Professor McGonagall. Maya clutched her satchel close to her side and sprinted towards the line, catching up with them within a few minutes.

McGonagall looked startled when Maya greeted her through her panting. "Miss Kensington! There you are!" she huffed and put a hand on her shoulder to usher her forward. "I'd like to know next time you're going to be late! With students getting cursed, you can't be too careful."

"I was only visiting Carol in the Hospital Wing…" Maya explained quietly, a little embarrassed. She looked up in surprise as she registered what McGonagall had said. "Wait, someone was cursed? Why didn't I hear about it?" Maya saw a couple of Gryffindor third years glare back at her, a little annoyed and a little sad. McGonagall shook her head and shoved Maya forward into the crowd of students so the professor could see her and she wasn't walking beside or behind her.

Someone grabbed her by the arm suddenly and Maya turned to see Astoria. "There you are," she said, walking between Maya and Charles. Charles waved a hello and Maya nodded in return. "Blaise was asking about you. So was Draco, but only because he wanted Blaise to shut up, I think. I told them that you were on your way, that you stopped by to visit your friend. McGonagall was a bit worried when she did a headcount."

"Okay, yeah, sorry…" Maya said and scanned the crowd for the two that Astoria had mentioned. She hadn't seen much of Draco and she figured that Blaise should know that she was there. "Umm, question…" She looked over at Astoria who was listening intently. "Did you know anything about students getting cursed? McGonagall mentioned it and it's the first I'd heard about it."

Astoria bit her lip, so Charles answered for her. "The Gryffindor chaser, Katie Bell, touched a cursed necklace and had to be sent to St. Mungo's Hospital for recovery. We haven't heard how she was doing." Maya was surprised she hadn't heard of this. Charles continued, "I heard that Potter and his friends found her with her best friend after it happened. Potter tried to claim that Malfoy did it, for some reason."

Maya clenched her fist. "Of course he did…" she muttered out loud, now searching the crowd for a new target. Potter had no right, considering he hadn't seen how Bell got it in her possession, therefore he was making baseless accusations. "The professors didn't buy that, did they?"

"No!" Astoria gasped. "They most certainly did not! No one in their right mind would." Charles rolled his eyes an snorted and Maya wasn't so sure that Charles believed Draco's innocence like Astoria, Maya, and the professors did. "Oh, Charles, stop it," Astoria said to him exasperatedly, elbowing him. He grunted and rubbed his shoulder, scowling.

"Well, I'm putting Draco out of my mind today," Maya declared, crossing her arms. "Blaise was...nice enough to ask me out, so I owe it to him and myself to move on, right?" Astoria and Charles exchanged looks but neither said a thing to her. She adjusted her scarf as they continued on their way to the village. Astoria and Charles said goodbye before racing off to Honeyduke's, leaving Maya on her own.

As the students dispersed throughout the village, Maya paused and took a good look around. The year was progressing quickly, and Maya hadn't even taken time to appreciate the beauty of the school or Hogsmeade village in the fall. No snow had fallen yet, but the stone streets and lovely houses still looked charming. They were quaint, welcoming, pleasing to look at. Maya found herself wondering how someone could go about moving to Hogsmeade. Surely it wouldn't be too hard, although a little overrun with children during the school year.

Maya checked her satchel for her book she brought as a just in case, made sure she had her money, she saw that Aspen's lead was in there as well, and her wand was tucked safely in an inside pocket. Closing it up and satisfied nothing could fall out, she set off down the streets, unsure where Blaise was. She realized then how poorly planned out it all was. "Well, that was smart," she said to herself, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. "You agree to go out with someone and don't even ask him where it's going to be, or where you should meet him, or —"

Her rambling was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder spinning her around. She looked up to see the dark features of Blaise, an eyebrow raised. "Been looking for you, Kensington," he said, bringing his hand off her shoulder. "Do you make it a habit of talking to yourself?"

The question caught Maya off guard. She chuckled awkwardly and began to tap her finger against her satchel, playing with the button on it. "Well — sometimes — umm, I mean...yeah?" Maya wasn't sure what else she could say. It was the truth. "It helps me think?"

" _Ridiculous_ ," Blaise scoffed. Maya's heart sank. Draco mentioned once that _he_ found it endearing. However, Maya had to remember that Blaise was a completely different person. One she could already tell she didn't like that much as a boyfriend. "Malfoy didn't tell me you were so...weird…quiet? — yes — weird? — no." Maya resisted the urge to scowl at him like he was at her. She refused to do it. Then they might look like a couple, like Draco and Pansy.

"Thanks for the compliment," Maya smirked, trying to act nonchalant about it. Being called weird wasn't too much of a problem, since her house had the reputation of having some eccentric members and it was — quite possibly — considered a compliment, but what was the problem was the way he had said it. It wasn't teasing, it wasn't joking, just a bit rude. "I can tell we've really hit it off, now, haven't we?"

Blaise narrowed his eyes suspiciously, as if he couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not. "Whatever you say," he frowned. "I figured we'd go to Madam Puddifoot's for lunch. Not my favorite place — far too frilly — but it's a common place for dates. Is that alright with you?" Maya nodded hesitantly. She'd been inside the shop once during her first Hogsmeade visit when she was thirteen and exploring the village for the first time and she kind of wanted to stay out of it.

But Maya wanted the day to go smoothly, so she said nothing and followed him to the shop. Once inside, she could see that it was as cramped and pastel as it ever was. Light pink and baby blue ribbons and frills. Humid from the large amounts of water being boiled for tea and coffee. It was also quite warm and smelled like a muggle bakery, not that she would share that thought with anyone, least of all Blaise.

Madam Puddifoot, the owner and shop's namesake, was a stout woman with sleek black hair that she always had pulled into a bun. Maya found herself wondering why she chose to put round tables so close together, because the woman had a little difficulty squeezing between tables with her trays of coffee, tea, and cakes. She passed them down to tables and then hurriedly went behind her counter to fetch more, glancing at the bit of parchment she was taking orders on.

Blaise and Maya took a table by the window, which Maya thought made the shop seem a little less cramped. When Madam Puddifoot came to take their orders, Blaise ordered a slice of chocolate cake and a cup of coffee with sugar. Maya passed on cake and ordered a cup of coffee, black, no sugar, no cream. She didn't really want much else. After a short while, Madam Puddifoot returned to their table with their drinks and Blaise's cake and then she told them to enjoy and went about the shop checking on the other teenagers.

Maya didn't talk a whole lot, mainly listening to Blaise. She answered any questions he had in short answers, usually in one words, but he seemed a little uncomfortable and out of place. "You've hardly said anything and we've been here for about twenty minutes," Blaise said, moving his cake around on its plate with his fork. "Maybe some more interesting questions. Umm...how're things in the muggle world?"

She shrugged, "Alright, I suppose. No magic, so, kind of boring?"

"You're from here in Scotland, right?" Blaise asked her and Maya nodded a little. "Where?"

"Portree," Maya replied, taking a sip of her drink. "My mom works and lives in London and I spend time in Portree with my grandparents, working on their farm."

Blaise tried to look interested, "So...life on a muggle farm...interesting?"

Another shrug. "I guess, so. Sheep, horses, cows...really interesting..."

Blaise snorted a little, as if he was holding back laughter. Maya glanced up at him, curious. "Forgive me, you're just so different from Daphne...she loves to talk, you on the other hand seem to make it your goal to talk as little as possible"

"I talk when I have something to say," Maya answered, leaning back in her seat. "Simple as that. If there's something I feel needs to be said or something I want to say, then I'll let you know. Otherwise, no offence, you shouldn't expect much." He nodded slowly, but Maya wondered just what he was thinking.

Maya wasn't too sure about whether their was much to pursue with him, or even if it would be worth it. Draco had been hard to read and understand at times, but not like this. Both of them managed to meet in the middle and open up, save for recent years, but here both Blaise and Maya were far too guarded and suspicious of each other. They didn't trust. And that would make it a little difficult to date.

It took her two years to get Draco to be tolerable to be around, then another year after that before she actually realized she loved him. At the same time, Blaise was trying his best to be nice to her. The least she could do was humor him for the time being. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. Soon enough, the end to the date came and Maya was eager to leave, though she tried not to let him see this.

"I'll see you around," Maya said to him, pulling her coat back on and re-wrapping her scarf. Since all she had was a coffee, she paid fot herself. Blaise didn't protest to this. "It was a nice date, Blaise. Maybe we can study sometime this week?"

"That would be nice. Maybe Monday and Friday after classes?" Blaise suggested and Maya nodded. As Blaise paid for his coffee and cake, Maya hurried out into the streets of Hogsmeade so she wouldn't be forced to walk with him some more. She went off to the bookshop for the rest of the afternoon until it was time to return to Hogwarts.

* * *

On Monday after her study session with Blaise, Maya was on her way to the Great Hall for dinner. She heard footsteps hurry down a corridor she was about to pass and voices as well, but didn't think much of it. Until she recognized the voices as Astoria and Draco. She froze. They weren't heading her way. It sounded as if one of them — likely Astoria — had ran after the other.

"Malfoy, hold up!" Astoria said, then the footsteps ceased. "I have to talk to you about something."

Draco sighed. You could hear the annoyance in his voice when he spoke. "I'm busy, Greengrass. What do you want?"

Maya kept her back pressed to the wall and listened, not peeking around the corner to watch. They'd probably see her if she did. Astoria sounded more confident than she normally did whenever she talked with Draco, Maya could tell. "Daphne told me all about your little scheme," she said to him. Her tone was almost...aggressive, which was unusual for the normally gentle and laid back girl. "You're trying to keep Maya out of your way, aren't you?"

There was a long pause and what sounded like someone tapping their foot slowly. Draco eventually replied after a good while, "It's for her own good. I'd suggest you stay out of it. It's none of your business."

"Actually, all things considered, it _is_ my business," Astoria snapped at him. Maya was surprised to hear the venom in her voice. "It isn't fair to anybody. Not to Pansy, not to Blaise, not to Daphne, and most certainly not to Maya." Maya heard Draco take a sharp breath at Astoria's mention of her. "People aren't your personal tools, Malfoy. You can't just use them whenever you see fit. How do you think anyone in this situation feels?"

"The only one even slightly upset about it seems to be Pansy," Draco tried to act nonchalant. "I talked to everyone about it beforehand."

"Except for Maya," Astoria pointed out. "You didn't consult her, now did you?"

Draco scoffed at her. "That's the point, _genius_. If she knows then it ruins the entire point." He took a moment to speak up as Astoria said nothing, likely taken aback by what he'd said to her. "Look, Greengrass. Your family isn't going through what mine is, alright? Somehow they were lucky enough to avoid it, which means you and your sister got off pretty easy. You don't have anybody you need to protect — family, yourself, your best friend. I'm doing this for the good of everyone, trust me."

" _No_ , you're not," Astoria said to him, a little exasperated. "Your doing this to save yourself. Maybe your family as well. But it's most definitely not the good for everyone. Look, Draco, Maya is worried about you. Pretty much everyone is, to be honest." Astoria sighed. "Why can't you just let someone in to help you, at least emotionally, that way nobody gets used or hurt. Haven't you looked in a mirror recently?"

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Greengrass," Draco snapped. "Now why don't you keep your mouth shut and mind your own bloody business. Keep in mind that the only reason _you_ know is because you don't pay attention to curfew." He sighed. "I don't want Kensington involved in this. If she finds out what happened, then she'll try and fix it and there are some problems that nobody can solve. If she gets wrapped up in this business then it'll make her a target."

Astoria went quiet. Then she told him, "Fine. You want to suffer Malfoy? You want someone you claim to care about to be kept in the dark? That's your business, but leave Pansy, Daphne, and Blaise out of it. Pansy's been drooling over you for years, she doesn't deserve an act like the one you two are playing. And Daphne loves Blaise and she's forced to ignore this just so you can —"

"Shut it, Greengrass," Draco snarled, talking over her. Maya couldn't hear what she had said.

"Whatever," Astoria snapped. "But I'm not keeping her in the dark forever. And Daphne feels the same way. If you don't figure something else out soon, then one of us may just let it slip to her one day." She spun around, her shoes making a sharp noise on the ground as she marched off. Maya ran off, ducking behind a suit of armor as Astoria headed down towards the Great Hall.

Maya didn't know exactly what she had just heard, but Draco was using just about everyone. Blaise, Pansy, maybe Daphne, possibly even Astoria. All to keep Maya out of whatever was going on with him. And Maya wasn't going to let that happen. Something else was going on with Draco that she still needed to figure out, but now Maya knew why Blaise asked her out. Why he suggested the studying. Neither one enjoyed the others company.

"Two can play at whatever game you've got going on, Draco," Maya said to herself as she walked down to dinner once she was sure that Draco and Astoria were gone. "Seems that you forgot a couple very basic things. I'm persistent, curious, and care about you. I'm not going to let you get rid of me that easily and I _will_ figure it out. One way or another."

* * *

Maya searched for two people out in the courtyard. Two sisters, Astoria and Daphne Greengrass. She wanted to know what they knew about Draco's ridiculous plan with Blaise and Pansy. They knew something, and neither one of them seemed happy about it. She didn't expect it to be easy, since most of the time Slytherins looked out for one another, but the way Astoria was talking made it seem as though they were becoming fed up by it.

She scanned the courtyard and caught sight of the pair talking. They looked similar in appearance with slight differences. Astoria's eyes were dark brown and Daphne's were bright blue, and Astoria's hair matched her eyes whereas Daphne's was a light, chestnut brown. Astoria also had a more oval face shape than her older sister did. But you could definitely tell that they were related, with similar mannerisms and being more calm and muggle-born accepting than the other purebloods, were.

Astoria saw Maya from across the courtyard and frowned, turning to Daphne and saying something. Daphne looked up and a matching frown formed when she saw Maya and she quickly returned to the book she was holding. Maya approached them, putting on a friendly smile. "Hello, Astoria. Daphne. I've been looking everywhere for you two. I want to talk."

"About what?" Astoria asked, visibly confused. Daphne didn't look up, but she stayed on the same page of her book which meant she was at least listening at the very least. Better than giving her the cold shoulder.

"I heard you talking with Draco last night, before dinner," Maya said to Astoria. Astoria immediatly tensed, something Daphne had already done before Maya came over. "Which means I know that he's using Blaise and Pansy, as well as you two, in order to keep me out of the way for whatever he's doing. I don't expect Astoria to tell me what's going on fully, but I wanted to set something straight with Daphne."

She looked up when she heard her name. "What are you talking about, Kensington? Blaise broke up with me and Pansy is going out with Malfoy. Blaise has a genuine interest in you, not me." It sounded fake, as if she hadn't rehearsed it very often. Astoria placed a hand on Daphne's wrist and they made eye contact. Astoria shook her head and Daphne looked down, then back at Maya. "Alright, fine. Malfoy came to us and mentioned that you were...well, he said stalking him, or something like that."

Astoria continued for her sister. "Malfoy went to Blaise and Daphne and asked if Blaise could distract you so you'd leave him alone. Which meant Blaise and Daphne need to act like exes. I can't speak for Pansy about Malfoy or vice versa, but Blaise doesn't actually like you, definitely not in a romantic way. He went to Theodore Nott, even his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, first, but none of them agreed. Malfoy offered to pay Blaise and Daphne a little bit as a bribe."

"I wasn't too on board with it," Daphne interjected. "I'm going to find some sort of revenge for Malfoy. I don't appreciate being used as a tool."

"Actually, that's why I came to talk to you," Maya said. "I want to get back at him, too, but I want to check with you first, since it involves Blaise. He won't know, but this way we can all eventually — hopefully — be honest with one another. Me with Blaise, Blaise with me, Daphne and Blaise with everyone who now thinks Blaise and I are a thing. Kind of gross, really."

Daphne perked up. "You don't like Blaise?" Maya shook her head and Daphne grinned. Astoria looked happy for her sister, but concern appeared to be there as well. "Can't speak for Astoria, but I'm on board. What's the plan?"

Maya sat down beside them, both listening intently.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six (Year Six): Honesty Is The Best Policy

"You make some strange friends," Lewis said, shaking his head as he stared across the Great Hall at where Blaise, Daphne, Charles, and Astoria were all chatting at the Slytherin table about the plan. Maya followed his gaze and then went back to her book, smirking. Lewis returned to his essay, then he looked up at her again, "What is it with you and Slytherins?"

Maya chortled, not looking away from the page she was on. "I don't have an answer to that, really," she said with a shrug, grinning. "It just so happens that a majority of the people I get along with happen to be Slytherins. I mean, aside from you and Carol, all of my friends are in Slytherin. That _is_ odd, isn't it?" Maya leaned back, staring thoughtfully up at the ceiling. "Really weird…"

Rolling his eyes, Lewis reached for the pitcher of pumpkin juice to pour himself a glass. "So, what have you been scheming about with them?" he asked her, casually trying to make conversation. It had been dull, studying while eating lunch in the Great Hall. Hard to divide your time between the two, so most people seemed to skip studying altogether and skip to talking while they ate. It seemed that was what Lewis was trying to do.

"We haven't been scheming," Maya replied. He gave her a raised eyebrow, smiling at her. Lewis could see right through her. "Okay, fine, just a little bit. But I promise we're following school rules. Er... _most_ of them, anyway, I think?" He nodded, still smiling, and focused on his food as Maya began to play with the page of her book, lifting it up and letting it fall back with a soft sound of scraping parchment, adding more and more pages each time. She sucked in a sharp breath and blew it out. "Lunch is boring."

The massive clock in the clock tower outside the courtyard suddenly began to chime. It rang out several times, announcing that lunch was over. Students began to gather up books, or stuffing the last of the food into their mouths, hurrying off to their next classes, a few of them checking the timetable they had. Lewis sighed and scooped up his Transfiguration book. "Here's hoping the exam I had goes well," he said, sweeping his robes aside so he didn't step on them as he swung his leg over the bench. "Wish me luck!"

Before he left, Maya quickly said, "We're all meeting to play Quidditch later this afternoon, right?"

"Of course," he said, grinning. "It'll be nice to play against Carol, though I imagine that she's still upset that Hufflepuff lost. Well, I gotta hurry." Lewis spun back around and hurried out the door.

Maya watched him go and then collected her books, her next class being Defense Against the Dark Arts. Snape was a decent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, with a strictness that rivaled the previous Dolores Umbridge. Although he was cruel at times, he wasn't nearly as bad as Umbridge had been. And however strict he was in Potions seemed to have doubled. He was more dedicated to his new job than he had been to Potions. Maya knew he had originally applied for the job of Defense Against the Dark Arts, but she didn't realize how bad he had wanted it until he finally got it.

Snape and Draco appeared to be at odds with one another as well. The ever dull professor had been more attentive to Draco, and ever since Draco went into his constantly angry and looking like he's going to kill someone phase (Maya had been making up insults since the conversation between Astoria and Draco was heard) he seemed to hate Snape, glaring at Snape whenever he'd show extra care to making Draco seem like the best or try to help him improve. Any criticism of the ill-tempered teenager was met with a fiery glare. And Snape never punished him for it.

Someone tapped Maya on her shoulder and she quickly wiped the scowl that had formed due to her annoyance with Draco and his ability to not get in trouble with a man who hated everything. She turned around and was met by a somewhat annoyed Blaise. He was back to his usual self. "You're telling me that you only agreed to go out with me because you didn't want to hurt my feelings?" he asked in a voice that matched the look he was wearing.

"Umm...hi?" Maya was taken aback by the harshness in his tone. Last time she'd seen him, he most definitely was not acting like that. "Okay, yes, that was the reason. You seemed so...I don't know, you just looked like you could use a chance to loosen up? It didn't work. Obviously." She frowned, "Wait a minute, why do you even care? I figured you'd be overjoyed now that you can be free of Draco playing like a pawn. Or something. Sort of. I mean, you get to be with Daphne, now."

"What good does it do me?" Blaise demanded. He must have had the same class as her because he didn't appear to worry about heading to a different class. "According to Daphne, I still have to humor him and pretend to be with you. Therefore, I can't actually be with Daphne without it being a play, technically speaking." He stumbled a little, distracted by his aggravation and his usually long stride having been slowed down to keep pace with Maya, making him walk oddly. It made her glad she wasn't as lanky as some people were, even if being shorter than others her age was weird. Blaise let out a frustrated sigh, "If I ever need a plan, I'm not going to you, Kensington."

Personally, Maya thought her plan was rather creative. She was proud of it, and Daphne and Astoria agreed. They'd get Draco back by starting some complicated, short romance that ultimately affected him in the long run. Astoria would lay it on thick in front of Draco about how Blaise and Maya were a thing, but also hint that he and Daphne were still seeing each other. They'd also have Blaise and Daphne dropping hints they were 'back together' and maybe stage a kissing scene, it was up to them how it went.

The reason for this was that Maya knew Draco well enough to know he was — in spite of breaking it off with her and pushing her aside — a forever loyal friend to those that showed loyalty to him, whether the source for said loyalty was because of respect or out of a genuine friendship. He had Slytherin's fierce loyalty, surprisingly, the kind that could rival a Hufflepuff's. She figured this was part of the reason they became so close and part of the reason he hung out with the others. It was speculation, but they showed the loyalty to follow him around and help him do his bidding. Why? Because they respected his name, his status, even if it wasn't him directly. He rewarded them with his own loyalty, maybe not mutual respect, but a part of him might have actually liked them.

The plan was to — as much as Maya hated admitting it and felt bad about — use his loyalty to their advantage. If he suspected foul play going on and that Blaise wasn't being loyal to his suspected girlfriend, he would most likely react to it with anger. He'd want another person to keep an eye on Maya and would try and warn her in order to get Blaise out of the way, possibly confronting Blaise about it as well (if that was the case, Blaise would try and discreetly direct him to Maya). Maya would prompt him to tell her about it and this would force Draco to talk to her and be honest, a step back to their old friendship.

It was all set up and Astoria would put it into action later that night and Blaise and Maya and Daphne would all begin their plotting. Maya thought herself to be a genius, and Astoria had appeared to have had similar thoughts. Astoria was just overjoyed to be able to practice her acting skills, which she had talked about ever since Maya explained her role to her.

Evidently, the theatre was growing within the wizarding world, with witches and wizards reenacting stories from The Tales of Beedle the Bard and even famous magical history events, such as the legendary founding of Hogwarts which evidently mainly followed Salazar Slytherin's perspective or Godric Gryffindor's perspectives. Astoria's parents had taken her and Daphne out to see a play once and Astoria was captivated by it, telling Maya every little detail and distracting them both. Daphne had been the one to remind them to focus on real life.

"I think my plan is brilliant, thank you very much, Mr. Zabini, and I apologize if you aren't capable of seeing its genius," Maya said in an exaggerated, posh voice, lifting her head up slightly and walking stiffly. He stared at her as if she lost her mind. Perhaps she had, spending so much time around Slytherins, but she wasn't completely sure. "Now, if you'll please excuse me," she lost the accent and opened the door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "I'd like to avoid Snape yelling at me for getting distracted again, so — and no offense is intended — kindly shut up. We can talk later."

As they parted ways, she distinctly heard Blaise mutter under his breath, "Stupid Ravenclaws..." and then sit down across the class from her, next to Draco and Theodore Nott. Daphne and Pansy were already there.

 _That's an oxymoron, Zabini_. Maya thought to herself. Then she began to question herself. Was it possible for a Ravenclaw to be stupid? Surely it was since creativity was valued amongst the House as well. Looking back at their second year, Gilderoy Lockhart was a prime example. What about cowardly Gryffindors? That was possible as well. She didn't dislike Longbottom, in fact, she quite liked him, but he wasn't the most courageous, daring Gryffindor in the world. Maybe not a coward, but still. Nice, not power hungry or super ambitious Slytherins? Maya knew this for a fact, they did exist. Astoria, Daphne, and Charles were prime examples. Bitter, nasty, hateful Hufflepuffs? Maya shook her head. That one simply wasn't possible. Maybe. She doubted it.

Her thoughts were prevented from traveling any further, as Snape stepped out of his office, walking swiftly down the stairs. "Pay close attention today," he ordered in his monotone. "I'll be teaching you some more about non-verbal magic today, then I expect you to exhibit _some_ promise towards the end of class. Especially those of you who wish to one day center their profession around this entire subject..." Snape's dark eyes flicked down to Maya and she felt herself shrink in the brief moments he stared at her.

Maya gulped a little when she remembered that she mentioned to Snape after the first class (with a lot of stuttering added in) that she wanted to become the teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts after he retired and she was old enough. He had been quite discouraging but did in some strange, rude way say that she was skilled and he might consider tutoring her after classes. He hadn't mentioned it again after that and Maya was still determined to excel.

Then she remembered her previous plan and began to feel overwhelmed as Snape ordered them all to open their books and she started searching for the correct page quickly. How could she keep up? She'd managed it until now, somehow, but they were nearing Christmas. Maya had to be ready to pass the final exams. She heard from Lewis that sixth-year exams could be torture.

 _Argh, of_ course _this would happen to me..._ Maya thought, then started to read, forgetting about everything once again. She'd been extremely forgetful that year. She had no idea why, though.

Throughout the class, she had a hard time keeping her mind from wandering, but when it ended she was ready to finish the next three classes she had and be free for the rest of the afternoon. Saturday was the next day and she knew the plan had to be perfect starting out or it wouldn't work right. Somehow she had managed to find an easy balance between her planning and her classes without thinking about it, so all she had to do was not think about it and everything would work itself out fine. That had to be how it'd go.

* * *

"And that's _another_ point for Carol and Maya," Astoria announced loudly from where she was balanced on her sister's broom, close to the ground. The mock game was going quite well. None of the actual Quidditch teams had a practice that afternoon, so it was open for them to play a friendly game with one another. Lewis and Charles were on the same team with Charles acting as the seeker and Lewis acting as the chaser and keeper. Maya and Carol were together with Carol acting as seeker and Maya as the keeper and chaser. They all decided they'd scratch beater from the game, as it would be too hard with only two people on each team.

Lewis glared at Charles, who was scanning the pitch and the stands carefully from a few feet up. "Oi, Charles!" he called out and the boy's head turned in his direction, curious. Maya couldn't see his expression from where she was by the goal posts. "Can't you hurry up and find that snitch? It isn't like it's moving or anything!" Lewis was right. The snitch they had was a Muggle golfball that they'd painted gold. Astoria — being the referee — went out before the others and hid the golfball somewhere in either the grass or the stands.

"I told you before!" Charles yelled down at Lewis. "Astoria is amazing at keeping things secret, so if she doesn't want something found easily then it won't be!" Everyone looked down at Astoria, a little annoyed with her, and Maya saw her cheeks flush a rosy pink at Charles's words. "Now, Lewis, thank you for making me lose focus!" Maya chuckled as both Carol and Lewis put on matching expressions of annoyance with Charles.

Their little game went on, although it was getting dark and before long it would be time to go home. The paint they put on the golf ball was a little shiny, thanks to it being Carol's, and it glowed in the light hit it just right. The light of the sunset was fading, so they weren't able to find it that way. By now the game was as good as over. Lewis and Charles had almost gotten it up to a tie, but Astoria called the game and told them to help her and Lewis find the snitch since she forgot where she had put it.

Maya decided she could try practicing her non-verbal magic. Snape had sent them off with tons of homework that day, so she took this as an opportunity to try it. She read that some spells cast non-verbally had the possibility of being less powerful, so she thought of an easy spell mastered in their third year. _Lumos Maxima_. Maya thought, holding her wand out. _Lumos Maxima_. The tip lit up, looking as bright as the regular _Lumos_ did whenever cast verbally.

Everyone turned to look at her, eyebrows raised. Maya shrugged and continued searching the pitch. A faint shimmer caught her eye and she hurried over to it, picking it up. "I found it!" she held it up, grinning. Lewis hurried over (it was his golfball) and closed his hand around it as she dropped it in his palm, then he stuffed it in his pocket and checked his watch.

"Dinnertime in twenty minutes," he said simply and they all put away the brooms and hurried off to the Great Hall, throwing their school robes over their regular clothes. Running as fast as they could, not stopping the whole way, they managed to get there and take their seats with thirty seconds to spare. Lewis grabbed his goblet and poured water into it, guzzling it down and pouring himself another glass. Maya was slower to move. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Lewis sighed and caught his breath, "We made it! Right on time, sorta."

Maya nodded, waving sheepishly at the fifth years that stared at them with what appeared to be disgust, likely because they were sweaty and quite messy. Looking up at the ceiling, she saw that it was a starry night that was shown, however, a few clouds drifted across it. She looked down from the ceiling and across to Lewis, who was scarfing down some chicken. "What are you going to do once you finish Hogwarts?"

Lewis gulped loudly as he finished the chicken and then reached for another. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you staying in the wizarding world or are you leaving it? Going back to living among muggles and working a muggle job and whatnot," Maya elaborated, making herself a plate.

"Haven't decided yet," Lewis replied. "I've got a few more months to make up my mind, but I might visit family a little and decide what to do after." He stared across at her. "Have _you_ given it any thought?"

"Yes, actually, I have. I'm going to stay here. Nothing for me to do in the muggle world, but I want to be a teacher here at Hogwarts. I'm thinking that — after Snape retires — I might be able to apply for Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Maya hadn't told anyone about this, aside from Snape. It seemed Lewis was about as encouraging as Snape had been, perhaps worse, going so far as to laugh a little.

He took a large swig of water and finally stopped giggling. "That job's cursed, Maya," he said to her. "I don't think Snape will be teaching much longer, to be honest. You've seen what happened to every single professor you've had for that class. All five of 'em." He began to count on his fingers, "One died, second lost memory, the third left for some reason, fourth was actually a criminal, the fifth was also a criminal in her own way, but not actually recognized. That's five people who were all forced to leave Hogwarts, alive or not."

"You are such a pessimist," Maya scoffed.

"Nope, I'm a realist," he replied coolly.

* * *

The next morning, Astoria was giggling as she came up to Maya in the Great Hall the next day. "It's going quicker than we thought," she informed her. "I was brilliant. Daphne was impressed! Anyways, you should have seen Draco's face. Daphne and Blaise were acting all lovey-dovey this morning in the Common Room after I told Draco that you and Blaise were acting the same way. He got so mad and asked Blaise what was going on, which Blaise then said it wasn't his business, right?"

Astoria eagerly went on with her storytelling. Evidently, Draco got mad at Blaise and took him aside to ask him why he was getting 'serious' with Maya when he was basically just supposed to keep her out of Draco's business, he then asked him that if he was 'serious' about Maya why he was still with Daphne. Blaise had snapped that it was none of Draco or Maya's business who he could and couldn't hang out with. This annoyed Draco, apparently, and Astoria had hurried off to talk to Maya and tell her Draco was on his way.

"Right," Maya said with a nod, crossing her arms. "Nice job. Could you let the others know that they did great and I'll talk with them as soon as possible?" Astoria nodded and hurried back to the Slytherin table and Maya got up to leave the hall and go somewhere no one would stare. She had taken barely two steps out of the Great Hall when Draco came marching up to her. Quickly, she tried to act as if she wasn't expecting to see him. "Oh, hi, Draco," she said quietly. "Finally decide to eat something? You're looking rather...thin."

Draco stopped in front of her. "I came to talk with you," he wasted no time. "Look, stop dating Blaise. He's trouble."

"What do you mean?" Maya asked him, trying to play dumb. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't a little amusing. At the same time, she felt terrible that she was manipulating him like this. "And just...w-why do I need to stop seeing him?" She stuttered a little and she only then knew why. It had taken them both a moment to realize they were a little closer together than either of them wanted or intended.

"He was all over Daphne in the Common Room this morning," Draco told her, taking a step back from her. "In short, he's cheating on you."

"Why should I trust what you say?" Maya challenged. "You've barely given me any reason to trust _you_ , much less your dating advice." Truth be told, she wasn't entirely sure how she was supposed to get him to talk with her.

He was just staring at her, offended. Angry. He always looked angry now. After a moment he said sharply, "Fine. Go ahead and be your usual, stubborn self. See where it gets you after he's done toying with you and moves on." And with that, he turned on his heel and started off. Maya instinctively grabbed his hand, pulling back quickly when he spun to face her, yanking his hand away. "What!?"

"I — well — would you — I mean...could we just talk?" Maya looked down at her feet. He kept staring her down. "I know." She said. "I know why you have Blaise pretending to like me. Furthermore that he is."

"What are you talking about? Astoria said that you and Blaise had...become affectionate...I had nothing to do with it," Draco spoke in a bitter tone, especially when he mentioned Maya and Blaise.

Maya risked a step towards him. He moved a foot back to make for an easy escape, but he didn't move back. "You're hiding something Draco. And you asked Blaise to keep me out of the way. I have news for you; I know all of that, but what I don't know is _why_ all of that. Why are you lying Draco? I thought we were honest with each other."

"That was different. Look, you wouldn't understand." He started off. Maya didn't let him leave.

"I want to try to understand, Draco, please!"

"I've seen you talking with Potter," Draco snapped at her. "I can't trust you. Everything I tell you will go back to him, won't it? _Won't it_?" He sighed, frustrated, slowly lifting his hand to his face and pinching the bridge of his nose. Maya looked him over carefully. Every movement seemed strained, slow. He was tired, she would have compared it to something withering away, wasting to nothing slowly. Maya placed her hand on his arm and gently massaged his arm. To her surprise, he relaxed slightly at her touch.

She slowly moved closer to him, placing her other hand on his back, massaging back and forth between his shoulder blades. He'd lost a bit of weight, not to the point that it was visible, but it was noticeable if you'd touch him. Nobody realized, perhaps, because he hadn't let anybody touch him. Maya was surprised he didn't try and move away from her. She guided him over to one of the staircase entrances and sat down. She was still holding onto his arm, so he sank down.

Something came across her mind that she had no choice but to acknowledge. If she wanted him to be honest with her, then she might as well be honest with him. He wasn't doing well and she didn't want to see him break because he didn't want to let anybody in. Maya wasn't doing this for Potter or anybody else, she told herself. She was doing it for Draco. "Blaise and I don't actually like one another, Draco."

He gave her a sideways look, fidgetting with his hands. "But Astoria said —"

"It was a lie," Maya interrupted. She wasn't sure if this would work, but over her life she had remembered words every adult she knew would say. Honesty is the best policy. "I wanted you to talk to me so we staged it to make it seem like Blaise and I were a thing and he was cheating..." Draco stared at her, dumbfounded. Perhaps a little angry about it. He kept staring, so after a short while she said, "Give me _some_ credit at least, I mean, it was pretty clever and I was right in guessing you'd come and tell me he was 'cheating'!"

When she said that, he smirked slightly in the playful way he used to. That was a first. She hadn't seen him smile or smirk the entire year. Draco's face had been in a constant scowl. "Sneaking around, manipulating, _lying_. Pfft, I think all the Slytherins you know have rubbed off on you, love," he said. Maya looked up at him, shocked but growing exited. The smirk faded. "What?"

"You called me 'love'!" Maya said, grinning. "I've made progress!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Don't expect much from it, Kensington," he said, and stood up. "I'm still angry that you led me on like that. Don't think that Blaise or the Greengrass girls are getting off easy." Maya stood up with him and he straightened his tie and robes, dusting them off as if there was actually something on them (there wasn't). "I have something I need to take care of today."

"Right. Your secret stuff, right?" Maya asked him. He frowned. "Why can't you just tell me what's wrong? I swear that I won't tell anyone." He said nothing. "Please?"

"It isn't any of your business," he said simply. "Look, I've got to go. I'll see you around."

Maya watched him walk off before she got up and returned to the Great Hall. It wasn't long before Potter tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to look at him. He looked hopeful. "I saw you talking with Malfoy," he said. Maya looked him up and down. Potter was obsessed with knowing everything Draco was doing. To be fair, the same could have been said for her. "Looks like you're back on good terms with him."

"Not really," Maya replied airily in an attempt to brush him off. "It just happened today, that's all. I doubt he's going to be my friend again." It was a possibility, but it would take a good while to earn his trust over again, and the same went for her. Maya wasn't entirely sure what you would call it. He wasn't insulting her, so maybe that was a good sign.

"Will you still help me?" Potter asked. Maya looked at him for a moment, considering it. She didn't know if she really wanted to help Potter. She wanted to help Draco, but she needed to find out what was going on with him in order to know how to help him, which meant helping Potter had it's advantage. Maya really only had three options. Let Potter handle it himself and figure it out on her own, stay out of it entirely, or help Potter and thus find a way to help Draco. In the silence that had fallen, Potter had grown slightly impatient. "Well?"

Maya sighed, quickly thinking over her options once more. "Fine. But let me be completely honest with you Harry. I'm doing this so I can find out what's wrong with Draco and how I can help him." Her eyes narrowed, locked on his. "Understand that I am _not_ doing this for _you_." It might have made her seem a little untrustworthy in Potter's eyes, but he simply nodded curtly and asked her to meet him later in the afternoon. Honesty really was the best policy, or so it would seem.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven (Year Six): Letting Go

Christmas break was fast approaching and the school was decorated to fit the occasion. Massive evergreen wreaths hung from the ceilings in the hallways and many of the teenagers had taken to seeing who could jump the highest and touch the lower half of it on the way to classes. A third year Gryffindor boy got detention for getting his hand caught in the center and causing the wreath to fall on top of him. Physically, he was only a little bruised by one of the ornaments that had hit him on the cheek, but Maya figured that his pride had been harmed more than face had.

Potter had assigned Maya the task of keeping an eye on Draco whenever he couldn't. That meant that if he had a prior commitment, Maya was stalking the halls after Draco, figuring out what he was up to. She had created a chart to show his patterns and the places he frequented. They were the library and what seemed to be the Room of Requirement. He'd disappear into it for hours.

Maya had tried to get some idea of just what he was doing without going inside of the room, asking Madam Pince what books he'd been looking at before a class one day. She'd refused to tell her, saying she should mind her own business. Maya hadn't been pleased, but nevertheless, she left the library disappointed and headed off to Transfiguration, though her mind was barely on the task of the class that day.

It only got worse come lunch time. Potter came by, almost seeming a little nervous, carefully moving around some second years racing through the hall, laughing. "Maya," he called her by her first name. For the most part, they had gone back and forth between being on a first name basis and calling one another by their surnamed. "I need you to do me a favor."

"Oh?" She turned to face him, dabbing her lips with her napkin. "Let me take a wild guess, here, and say that it has to do with Draco. Right?" He nodded and she sighed. It was his turn. All of this spying was his idea, so it was his turn to actually take part in it. Maya had been helping him all week now that he was studying extra hard in Potions, which she guessed was to kiss up to Slughorn (not that he needed to, being _him_ ), as well as continuing on with Quidditch practices. "So what now?"

"Professor Slughorn is holding a Christmas party before break and I'll probablty be gone most of that evening," he explained to her. She already knew what she was supposed to do. "So, basically, I'm going to need you to keep an eye on Malfoy. Should be relatively easy. Just let me know if something happens." Maya nodded, hoping he'd go away so she could finish her meal. He turned to leave, but then he turned back around. "Try and get some information from him, if you can."

"In other words, weasel my way back into his life so I can get information from him?" Maya inquired, tilting her head to one side. Potter glanced to one side, at a loss for a reply. "I'm taking your silence as a 'yes'," she said with a scowl, picking up her glass and examining it just so she wouldn't have to look at him. "No guarentees, Harry. But, before you get too disappointed, I'll promise to give it my best shot."

Potter gave her a small 'thank you' and then she heard his footsteps start up and fade. When she set her glass down and looked back where he was, he was already back at the Gryffindor table, in deep conversation with Granger and Weasley. Maya and Potter didn't speak the rest of that day, but they did correspond over the week. Surprisingly, Potter let Maya take a break and he focused on Draco. Unfortunately for her, it didn't last long.

* * *

The time for Slughorn's party came quickly and Potter had greeted Maya in the library before he left to go and get ready, telling her the more recent times Draco had been out and about. It seemed to her that the times he was out were getting later and later, almost to the point of reaching curfew. Maya decided that since, according to Potter at least, Draco was choosing a later time each day (the most recent being eight o' clock) then she would go at the latest time and maybe catch him on his way in. She didn't have it all figured out.

So Maya was stuck by herself (save for Aspen's occasional patrol) with a sandwich as her dinner, perched against a window with a book. Admittedly, she wasn't sure how she'd hide from Filch if he came by, or how she'd hide from Draco. Hours went by, Maya having set her book down and was now practicing non-verbal casting, though multitasking while attempting that wasn't the best idea.

Neither Draco nor Filch had come by, so she let herself relax a little and focus on the task at hand. She remembered reading that pine wood was rather adaptable and sensitive to non-verbal casting, that didn't make it too easy, since she still needed to focus. Aiming the wand at the book, she tried her best to levitate it. _Wingardium Leviosa_. Maya thought hard, several times, moving her wand smoothly in the swish and flick motion. Finally, she managed to get the book in the air and grinned.

Her silent celebration was interupted when she heard footsteps echoing around a corner. Hurriedly, she tucked her wand into her robes and grabbed her book which had dropped to the floor with a thud. Maya scurried around a corner and peered out to see Draco, later than she had expected. He must have heard Maya's book drop, because he was looking around nervously as if expecting someone to be lurking about. It was after curfew, she realized, though not by too much.

After a few minutes, Draco stopped in front of a wall. Maya couldn't tell what he was doing, his back was turned to her. A few minutes later, Mrs. Norris trotted past Maya and up to Draco. He jumped when she yowled at him and he scowled, turning around and hissing at the caretaker's cat, "Get out of here, you stupid cat." He began to nudge her with his foot. "Get lost!"

Filch wasn't too far behind, hurrying up to Draco. Any color Draco had in his face drained as he saw Filch. Maya had gone unnoticed so far, but she heard Filch mention he was taking him to Slughorn, likely because he was the nearest professor. She took the oppurtunity, noticing Draco putting up a bit of a fight. Filch's back was now turned to Maya and Draco was facing her.

She knew he saw her when she emerged from her hiding place and went off to tell Potter. Not really sure why. It took her a few minutes, but she managed to get into the party without much of a protest from anyone, slipping past her fellow students over to where she saw Potter, standing a few feet from Professor Snape. "Harry," Maya panted, lowering her voice when Snape stared her down suspiciously. "Draco was just caught by Filch. Said he's taking him down here to Slughorn for being out past curfew.

"Did they see you?" Potter asked her. Maya shrugged.

"Not sure, Draco might have," she replied. "I don't know how far away they were, either. Probably right behind me."

Potter sighed. "Now that he's seen you, he knows you're spying on him." Maya opened her mouth to say something, but the door was opened and both of them turned towards it, knowing exactly who it was.

Draco was putting up a fight as he was dragged into the party by Filch who held on tightly to his shoulder. "Take your hands off me you filthy squib!" he spat, stumbling over his feet. One of Slughorn's guests lifted his camera to take a photo, but Slughorn stopped him as Filch stopped at the center of the room where everyone could see. Draco looked embarassed and scared, ashamed as well. His eyes scanned the room, lingering a while on Maya before he looked to the floor. His breathing was shaky and quick, like he was out of breath. He most likely was.

"Professor Slughorn, sir," Filch said, holding his head high. "I just discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party —"

"Okay, okay, I was gatecrashing!" Draco snapped at him, lifting his head and attempting to jerk backwards, and Filch went quiet. Nervous, he spat to Filch after a pause, " _Happy_?"

Professor Snape stepped forward, towering over Draco. "I'll escort him out," he said driely, no expression on his face. Maya was expecting him to punish Draco, she didn't know why, because he didn't and he proved that by saying nothing else.

Draco yanked his shoulder out of Filch's tight grip, though he had loosened it just a little so it wasn't a difficult feat. He stared up at Snape defiantly, but his breath was growing shakier. "Certainly," he hissed, sneering at his teacher. In mock respect, he added, " _Professor_..." And then he spun around and headed for the door, Snape right behind him.

Maya looked back at Potter in a brief moment of hesitation, and then without waiting for him she hurried after Snape and Draco, pushing past Filch just as Slughorn laughed nervously and told everyone to carry on and the party immediatly resumed, with chattering and music and all. Maya didn't know where Potter was, in all honesty she didn't care once she had gotten into the halls. She followed them for a while and then ducked down another corridor so they couldn't see her. She didn't realize Potter had gotten in front of her until someone pulled her aside and into the shadows, against the wall and cupped a hand over her mouth when she nearly screamed.

"Shh, do you want us to get caught?" A voice she recognized as Potter's hissed, bringing a finger to his lips, holding her against the wall with his hand on her mouth and his elbow pressing into her shoulder. He removed his hand from her mouth but kept her pinned against the wall for whatever reason.

"Potter!" Maya whisper-shouted at him. "Did you have to scare me like that? Bloody hell, you could have been anybody!" She put her hands on his chest and shoved him away from her, rubbing her shoulder where he'd been pressing against her. "That hurt! I swear —" She cut off when she heard voices. Draco and Snape must have just rounded the corner down the other corridor.

Draco was the one talking, "Maybe I did hex that Bell girl. Maybe I didn't. What's it to you?"

Maya peered out from her and Potter's hiding spot, ignoring Potter's attempts to stop her and she saw Snape angrily shove Draco against the wall, Draco stumbling and pressing his hands behind him to keep his head from hitting it. Snape was right in his face, his hand looking like it was on his throat, although it could have just been the silhouette. Nevertheless, it didn't look comfortable and Maya sucked in a sharp breath. "I swore to protect you," Snape snarled at Draco. "I made the Unbreakable Vow!"

"I don't need protection!" Draco snapped, moving forward. His voice was hoarse and strained, leading Maya to furthur believe that Snape's hand was on his throat or something. "I was chosen for this!" Maya wondered what he meant by that. What was he chosen for? Snape took his hand off of Draco and backed up, allowing Draco to take a step away from the wall. "Out of all others, _me_! I won't fail him!"

"You're afraid, Draco," Snape stated simply. "You attempt to conceal it, but it's obvious. Let me assist you —"

"No!" Draco snapped, voice quivering. " _I_ was chosen! This is _my_ moment!" Snape said nothing in reply to that and Draco started to walk away. Potter and Maya remained with their backs against the wall.

Before Draco was too far away, Snape called after Draco, "One word of advice. I wouldn't continue being so harsh to Miss Kensington if I were you. She cares about you, and I know from experience that — regardless of how you may act — _you_ still care about her as well. If you won't let _me_ help you at least let her. I refuse to believe that you don't want somebody who actually cares to confide in..."

"That's none of your business!" Draco spat, and Maya heard him spin on his heel. "Why don't you just stay out of my personal life? Or maybe stay out of my life in general?" Maya never thought that Draco would have ever spoken to Snape that way, and yet here they were. And it was unnerving to think that she was the subject. "She doesn't need to know about this. I don't _want_ her to know about any of this! Don't you get it? If she knows then she'll be as pestering as you are. She'll get herself killed! By pushing her away I'm protecting her -"

"You only think that," Snape replied. "I may not like her too much with her constant silence, lack of confidence, and how she has a tendency to drift off in classes..." Maya scoffed, her main thought in that moment being how rude that was of him to say. She couldn't defend herself either, otherwise she'd be in big trouble. Snape continued, "But you _do_ like her and as I said she wants to be there for you."

Draco scoffed. "And as _I_ said, _stay out of my business_." Snape didn't reply or attempt to change his mind as Draco continued on his way. It wasn't long before Snape left as well and Potter and Maya relaxed and left their hiding spot.

Potter suggested that she go back to her dorm, but Maya didn't want to. "Draco probably went back up to the Room of Requirement," Maya told him. "He's obviously worked up. I just...don't want him to be alone any more than he has to be. Couldn't you tell how upset he was?"

"Why should I care?" Potter scoffed. "You heard the first part of that conversation. It confirms what I thought this whole time. Malfoy is a Death Eater and Voldemort has some task for him to do. That's why he's in the Room of Requirement. He's doing something, preparing something." Maya couldn't believe what she Potter was saying. She didn't want to hear another word and brushed past him, on her way back upstairs.

Questions raced through her mind. Draco couldn't be a Death Eater, could he? His father was, but he was under the Imperius curse, wasn't he? Or had that been a lie? Was Draco following in his footsteps? Maya decided that while it might have been a possibility, Draco was — although she didn't want to admit it — too much of a coward to work for the most frightening Dark Wizard there was.

She stopped when she came to where the entrance of the Room of Requirement was. A weird thought and she wasn't sure if it would work, but she focused long and hard. _I need to find Draco_ , she closed her eyes, clenching her fist. _If he's in there then I need to find him_. Suddenly, the door appeared and Maya felt relief wash over her. She quietly and quickly opened the door and stepped inside.

It was messier than she rememebered, with towers of old furniture and knick knacks. There were goblets, mirrors, shelves, old candles, chairs, curtains. You could have enough furniture for several houses and yet all of it was just wasting in this room, gathering dust. Maya figured Dumbledore must have just turned it into a place to store whatever was laying around.

In a small clearing, surrounded by shorter piles, she saw Draco leaned against a dresser, his head bowed. He was clutching his head with his hands, fingers grabbing his hair. He was breathing heavily and sniffling. It was almost as if he was having a panic attack or something, close to crying but not quite there yet. It was like he was holding it in.

He was unaware of her presence, so Maya slowly stepped forward, walking over to him silently. She put her hand on his shoulder. Draco jumped and grabbed at her arm. She barely managed to avoid getting her wrist grabbed again. People seemed to enjoy grabbing her there a lot. "It's me," Maya told him and he glared up at her, eyes bloodshot from a lack of sleep. He looked torn between being angry with her and going back to his half-crying. She sat down next to him, ignoring the fact that he was watching her every move. "I heard you talking with Snape," she admitted after an awkward silence.

"What does it matter what you heard?" Draco frowned, now avoiding looking at her and instead fidgeting with his hands. "It's none of your business, really. Why should I care anyways?"

"Snape's right, Draco," she said to him with a sigh and he glared at her, a little shocked. "You can't keep everything locked in all the time. It helps to talk to people. Or to have a shoulder to cry into." Draco scoffed and continued to keep up his poker face for a little while longer before he rested his head on Maya's shoulder and closed his eyes. She moved her head so her cheek was pressed against his forehead and she too closed her eyes, sighing.

After a while, Maya asked him to let her up and he pulled his head off her shoulder and she stood up, crossing over to where an old record player was placed on a table, a stack of old muggle records in a pile underneath it. She pulled off the one it was skipping and dropped the damaged record to the floor. Draco stared at her, confused. He didn't say anything, though, as she looked over the records in the poorly lit room.

She found an old The Beatles record. They were a muggle band (albeit, a popular one in both England and America), so she was a little surprised to see it here. Dumbledore must've collected it or something. It was a single song. _Blackbird_. Maya had memories of her mother singing this song to her as a lullaby when she was younger. She barely remembered the lyrics to it. Pulling it out of the sleeve, she set it on the record player and put the needle down on it as it spun.

Maya looked back at Draco as it began to play the song. She returned to Draco's side and held her hand out to him for him to take. He looked at the record player curious and then back at Maya. "Kensington, what are you doing?"

"Attempting to get you to have some fun and relax for a little bit," she told him. "Come on, stand up." He rolled his eyes, but took her hand and she helped him to his feet. "Dance with me," Maya told him when he stared at her questioningly. He sighed and started to place his hands on her waist in the dance position they learned in fourth year for the Yule Ball. She chuckled, "It doesn't have to be so sophisticated, Draco." Not that she was complaining about the physical contact. Draco raised an eyebrow, keeping his hand where it was.

It was hard to waltz to it, but eventually they fell into a decent paced dance rythym, forgetting trying to waltz. They spun each other around, did exagerated movements. Eventually she saw Draco begin to crack a smile, even laughing a tiny bit. It wasn't a long song, only a little over two minutes. They came together and swayed softly as the final lyrics played and the song ended with the sound of a bird whistling. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Maya asked him, both still embraced in a sort of hug.

"No," he admitted, pulling away after a few more moments. Maya cleared her throats and crossed the room to put the record back in its proper place. "It was actually…relaxing. Never thought that muggles could be such good musicians." She rolled her eyes, cutting it off so that it didn't continue the annoying sound it was making. "I saw you talking with Potter. You've been spending time together, I've noticed. Is there something going on between the two of you?"

Maya's heart sank. He just had to ruin the moment like that. "It's not really any of your business, now is it?"

"Considering you're helping him stalk me, I'd say it is," Draco replied. "Also, you're my friend. So it kind of is my business."

"You're starting to sound like me," Maya said with a smirk. Draco only appeared to be slightly joking. His expression was dead serious, but his eyes were gleaming. "Nothing is 'going on' as you so delicately put it. I don't like Potter too much as it is, least of all romantically. He's kind of annoying, really. He's obsessed with Quidditch, You-Know-Who, and — in all honesty — with himself. And you. Sort of." She set the record back in the stack, turning around to face him. He was mildly confused by her choice in words. "What I mean is, he's convinced you're a Death Eater and he's determined to prove you're coming up here to help them somehow." She had a feeling that blurting that all out was a bad idea. Draco was staring at her, a fearful look in his eyes. Chuckling nervously, she added, "But...that's impossible, right? I mean, you wouldn't do that sort of thing."

Draco nodded, distractedly. "Yeah...right..." He combed his fingers through his hair and started to pace. Maya noticed that he glanced up at a cabinet sort of thing that Maya hadn't seen when she came in for some reason. It resembled the one she'd seen him examining in Borgin and Burkes when she was with Potter and his friends and saw Draco and his mother in Diagon Alley. "Are you done here or are you going to keep bothering me?"

"Umm…" Maya tried to find a way to make conversation so she could stay longer, not really wanting to walk back to her dorm. She also didn't want to leave him alone to do whatever it was he had come to do. "Are you going home for Christmas?"

He frowned and stopped pacing. "I don't know yet. Probably not. Mother and Father have been busy, so I'm probably going to stay here. You?"

"I'm going home," Maya replied, taking a few steps towards him. "My mom is planning a big Christmas dinner with my grandmother, I don't want to disappoint her. They're really eager to see me, and...well, I might not see them a whole lot after I finish schooling at Hogwarts." He nodded, probably not even listening fully. Or at all, for that matter. She watched as he sat back down on the ground and Maya went over to sit beside him. "Are you feeling okay, Draco?"

"Do I look like I'm feeling okay?" Draco snapped at her. "Thanks to you and Potter, I'm having a difficult time doing what I need to do."

"Sorry..." Maya started to apologize, but he sighed with mild frustration and she chose not to go on, instead she bit her lip, deciding on letting him have a turn talking.

He looked over at her. "It's not that simple, Kensington. A little 'sorry' isn't going to cut it. It'd be nice if you two would stop breathing down my neck." Draco told her. "You just don't understand what's at stake here."

Maya placed her hand on his and he interlocked their fingers. "I'd like to understand, but you won't let me, Draco. Maybe if you could tell me what's wrong with you —"

"I told you before, I can't tell you any of that, it isn't safe," Draco interrupted. "Look, I can't tell you what's going on because I love you and someone could easily use that against me, it's already happened to other people I know. I don't want to see you get hurt — or killed — because of me." Maya stared at him for a moment. "That's why I pushed you away. It's why I've been _trying_ to push you away. You're better off without me."

She lowered her voice and spoke softly. "I refuse to believe that, Draco." How could she make him not believe it? How was she supposed to tell him that she loved him, that she didn't care what happened to her because she loved him regardless and would die for him if that had to happen. Maybe she sounded like a stupid teenager, maybe she didn't fully understand love (did anyone understand it, she wondered), but she knew she cared about him more than she cared about what happened to her. "But if that's how you feel, then I'll let you go." Maya let go of his hand and stood up. He looked up at her as she stood and she looked down at him. "I love you, too. I think I always will. And if you positively want me to stay away, then...I'll respect that. Goodbye, Draco."

Draco didn't stand up, but he called after her as she left, "Can we still...I don't know, talk sometimes?"

Maya stopped and turned around. "I'll always be there if you want to talk, Draco." And without another word between the two, Maya left. She informed Potter the next morning that she was no longer helping his, much to the Gryffindor's annoyance. He snapped something about her being blinded and Maya left him be after that.

* * *

Although she had expected this Christmas to be fun and festive, instead she spent most of the break hiding away in her bedroom or with her nose in a book. She wasn't sure what she felt like. Her mother came up to her room on Christmas Eve, finding her completely rearranging her bedroom. She'd been trying to keep busy, which meant she'd cleaned up around the house, cleaned her bedroom, cleaned out her closet, taken on extra chores around the farm, and now was entertaining herself by switching her room around a little bit. Might as well continue with all the change in her life.

Her mother's knock on the half open door surprised her. It had also annoyed her. No one had made an attempt to talk to her and now they were suddenly in her business. Out of breath, Maya gave her mom permission to come inside and went back to pushing her bed into its new place. "Hey, honey," her mother greeted, nervously stepping inside. "I was, uh...wondering what you were doing up here?"

"Rearranging my room," Maya replied simply, her voice strained by her efforts. Eventually, she managed to get her bed in the place she wanted. Now all she had to do was move her night table and tidy up a little bit and she'd be finished. Taking a deep breath, she moved around her room and began to do just that. Her mother watched her, unsure how to make conversation. Grunting, Maya asked her, "Any particular reason why you've come up to my room?"

"I haven't seen a whole lot of you and you've been here for nearly a week," her mom answered, choosing her words carefully. "We don't get to spend a whole lot of time together over the summer. I was wondering if you wanted to do something together. Would you like to help your grandma and I cook dinner?"

Maya shook her head, giving her night table a final shove and getting it into place, "Nope! I would not like that, thank you for the offer." And she placed her hands on her hips, smiling at her work. "Perfect. Now I need to put the lamp and my decorations back in place and I'll be done!" She was talking to herself, but her mother nodded with mild confusion, half-heartedly encouraging her.

"How's your uh...your boyfriend...what was his name? Draco? You guys have been together, what, two years now?" Maya froze, realizing then that she hadn't told anyone about them breaking up. She didn't know why, but her mom had never really brought it up. It was like she didn't care, and Maya had never bothered mentioning a lot of her time at school to her mom. Maybe now that her mom was now in a relationship with a wizard she was trying to be more involved in knowing about what was going on.

"We, uh, we...um...we aren't...we're not together anymore, mum..." Maya stammered as she plugged her lamps back up and set them where they were supposed to be, putting pictures and figurines back in place. Her mom said something like 'oh' but nothing more. "Could you, uh...could you help me make my bed, please?" Maya asked her mom and she nodded. Together they pulled Maya's extra pair of sheets from off of her closet shelf and unfolded them. Her mom helped her get the sheet over the matress in silence, then Maya had a question. "Do you blame me for the fact that dad left?"

Her mom bit her lip and thought long and hard. "If you want an honest, grownup answer — and you're old enough for one — I was a little upset with you at first, but I realized the only person to blame was your father," she replied, pulling Maya's comforter up and over the bed. "He was scared of you and the others in your...world. The decision to send you to school in the first place was mine. He told me that I could do what I wanted. Personally, I think sending you there was the best choice to make. You've grown so much since then and it brought you out of your shell."

"But..." Maya wasn't quite sure how to phrase her question. She never really asked her mom for relationship advice or anything like that. "How did you let go? How did you get over, well...the hurt of losing someone you thought was your soulmate?"

Her mom looked up at her from the pillow she was now fluffing, a sympathetic look in her eyes. "Oh, Maya," she said sadly. "Were you _that_ serious about him?" She sounded a little doubtful, like most adults did. Maya gave her a pleading look, one that said she made sure showed her mother that she wasn't interested in being lectured about how she'd find something more than teenage love when she got older. "Alright. I did a lot of what you're doing. I worked hard and found something else to occupy my time. And I moved on, accepting that it wasn't meant to be after all. And I waited for someone to come along and I ended up meeting Elijah and things are working out fine."

Maya smoothed out any wrinkles in the newly made bed just as Aspen sprinted into the room and hopped onto the bed, curling up and going to sleep. Maya sat down and stroked her pet. "But, what do you do when you both still want to be together — well, possibly both of you — but you can't and he won't tell you why and it might be a life or death sort of thing for both of you?" Her mom gave her a bewildered look and she quickly added, "This is all hypothetical, of course. Just...a sort of what if."

"Well, I'd say give it your best effort regardless," her mom replied. "If you both love each other, than life or death situations shouldn't matter." She turned to leave, paused at the doorway and turned around. "But, Maya, I'd say that the best thing to do and probably — as weird as it may sound — the easiest. It won't hurt as much after a while. Also, when you're done in your room, we could use all the help we could downstairs." And just like that, her mom left to go start preparing dinner.

Although she didn't feel the best, she did feel better. She needed to accept she wasn't with Draco anymore and move on, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to. Maybe Potter was right, although she wasn't going to help him anymore. Even if she thought she was helping Draco, maybe the best way to help him was to let go. However hard it was. It would get better.

Finishing up her room, she hurried downstairs to help her mother and grandparents prepare for dinner. Carol and Charles and their family came over, and some of the other neighbors joined them as well. Elijah was there also. Everyone brought gifts and they all exchanged them after dinner. Overall it was a good Christmas, better than Maya had had in a good while.

The New Years celebration a few days later was a lot of fun too, even if Maya wasn't allowed to have any of the actual champagne. Instead, Carol, Charles, and Maya were all forced to drink carbonated grape juice, which ended up getting them hyper and gave them a bit of a sugar high. The grandparents actually threatened to take it away from them if they didn't calm down by the time they did the fireworks. It was the most fun she'd had in a long while.

And she didn't think about Draco anymore after her conversation with her mom, however she did borrow Carol's owl to send him a letter saying 'Happy New Years' and whatnot, asking him how his holiday was. Just trying to be friendly. After that, she spent the rest of her break happy and enjoying her brief time with her family.


	38. Chapter 38

Author's Note:

 _So, this chapter took longer than I originally intended. It's probably the shortest one of the sixth year and far from the most interesting, but it_ is _important for later events._

 _One of the reasons it took so long was that I had to edit all of the previous chapters. I have changed Charles and Carol's last name for personal reasons (PM me if you'd really like to know exactly why, as I'm always open to chatting). Their surname is now Manchester and I've gone back and replaced every mention of their surname (thank God for 'find and replace' and Google Docs)._

 _In any case, please enjoy the read and I hope have a blessed day!_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Eight (Year Six): A Late Lesson

Upon her return to Hogwarts after Christmas break, Maya returned to her dormitory to find a note on her bed. It was from Professor Snape, which she hadn't quite expected. It was in regards to her tutoring that he had mentioned all those weeks ago. He had wrote:

 _Miss Kensington,_  
 _Over the past weeks, I've been paying attention to your previous work and your grades in Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. While average at best, you appear to show promise in the class in spite of your tendency to 'day dream' and ignore everything being said._

 _I have decided, against my better judgement, to attempt to tutor you and broaden your experience. In turn, I trust that you will put forth an effort in your learning and expanding your attention span._

 _Your first lesson will be early Saturday morning, before breakfast so I don't spend the entire day in dread._  
 _We will work for an hour, from 7:00 to 8:00._  
 _I will not tolerate tardiness, especially not from someone wishing to one day teach this class._

 _Good day._

 _-Professor Snape_

While Maya resented being accused of having a short attention span, she wrote down on her calendar that on Saturday morning she had a private lesson with Professor Snape. She didn't understand why he had chosen so late in the school year to take her on. She'd be leaving that June and five months of lessons didn't teach her a whole lot. Perhaps Snape would push her, which she suspected he would even if it was just to be cruel.

She placed it on her bed and started to unpack. Her roommates weren't there yet, in all honesty she rarely saw them anymore and didn't really mind their abscence too much. They no longer found it funny to tease her or anything and made no effort to be her friend. They left each other alone. It was as if they didn't exist to one another.

After she had finished unpacking, Maya left the bustling Ravenclaw tower and followed the spiral staircase down until she came to the exit. From there, she made her way to the entrance hall. She wasn't sure what to do after that. Crowds of students were all bustling through the halls, making their way back to their dorms. The Great Hall was void of this sort of chaos, occupied instead by the students that had chosen to stay behind or those that had been quick to unpack and escape the hectic energy of their common room. They appeared to be enjoying their breakfast, glaring and shaking their heads occassionally at the hoard outside.

Astoria, Daphne, and Charles took notice of Maya, with Astoria nearly breaking her neck to get from the Slytherin table to the Ravenclaw table where Maya was about to take a seat. Daphne and Charles followed at a normal pace to greet her. Astoria on the other hand immediatly through her arms around Maya, nearly knocking her to the ground. When she finally let go, Astoria bombarded her with questions. "How have you been? How was your Christmas? Get any interesting gifts? Did you get the one I gave to Charles to give to you?"

"Umm...could you repeat all of that in English and...slower?" Maya asked, catching her breath.

Astoria looked confused for a minute, then she seemed to catch on. "Oh, you didn't understand any of that because I was talking too fast. I do that, don't I?" She then slowly repeated herself and Maya was happy to answer her questions. She'd been good, Christmas was great, interesting gifts all around, and she had gotten the lovely locket that Astoria had gotten for her. Astoria was beside herself with joy, bouncing up and down.

"Merlin, Astoria," her sister huffed out with a frown. Daphne placed a hand on Astoria's shoulder to keep her down, but she was still fidgeting. "Calm yourself down. I promised Mother that you wouldn't get on a sugar high if I gave you those chocolate frogs before we left. Looks like it caught up with you. I told you not to eat five of them." Astoria's face went red. Daphne looked to Maya, sighing exasperatedly at her sister, "Siblings, right? Anyways, thanks for your little plan a few days ago to get Malfoy off of Blaise's back."

"Can't say I'm grateful," Astoria said with a frown. "Blaise and his mum came over for Christmas dinner and Blaise and Daphne seriously abused the mistletoe we had. They weren't even under it!" Both Charles and Astoria's faces changed to ones of pure disgust, though they both ended up looking at each other and laughing about it. Daphne rolled her eyes, swatting at them with her rolled up copy of The Daily Prophet. The pair ducked out of the way, but didn't run off.

Charles was the first to recover from the mild laughing fit, straightening up and steering clear of Daphne, who glared daggers at him in spite of the smile that was creeping along her lips. "Parkinson is furious, Maya," he told her, dancing around Daphne and stopping to stand to Maya's side.

"What do you mean?" Maya inquired, finding herself surprised. Why ever would Pansy be upset? Maya had outsmarted Draco so she didn't have to date Blaise and Daphne and Blaise could be together and Draco would be honest for once that entire year. It didn't effect Pansy in any way. "Do you know why she's so upset?" Charles snorted with laughter and went over to Astoria, snickering while Astoria quietly told him it wasn't that funny. Maya looked to Daphne for an explanation.

"Malfoy broke up with her just before break, apparently," Daphne explained. A mildly guilty look flashed across her face, however brief. "She's one of my best friends, I guess you could say. That's how _I_ knew. She wrote me a letter about it and came to me in tears earlier today. The tension in the common room was so thick I swear if someone had a knife handy then they could have cut it. Charles and Astoria and I all got out of there as fast as we could." She shuddered a little, making Maya wonder if Pansy would come after her.

Astoria was wearing a thoughtful expression, finally having managed to calm Charles down. "I feel bad for her, but one good thing came from the breakup, if anything," she said thoughtfully.

"What's that?" Maya asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"No more constant snogging scenes in the common room, that's what!" Astoria grinned and Daphne looked to Maya and rolled her eyes. Charles began to laugh again.

* * *

Saturday morning came faster than Maya would have liked. She had little to no preperation for what she was supposed to say, thus panicking her entire walk down to Snape's classroom. The professor had given her a slip of paper — a hall pass — that stated she had permission to be out and about this early in case Filch decided to question her. If she was honest with herself, she regretted asking Snape for any sort of extra-teaching.

Arriving at last at the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, she knocked on the door, unsure whether Snape was there yet or not. Muffled footsteps could be heard on the other side and the door swung open, revealing the person she least expected to see here. Surprised, she stumbled over the words. "Malfoy," she managed to say, trying to ask him what he was doing there. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to use his first name.

Draco stared her down for a moment, scowling. Then, glancing back into the classroom, he stepped past her, nodding curtly. "Good morning, Kensington," he said flatly. Before Maya could reply, he spun on his heel and marched away. Maya watched him leave, confused as to what he was doing there. Knowing Snape, he probably had been talking with him about whatever he was talking about on the night of Slughorn's party.

"Miss Kensington..." Snape hissed, making Maya jump. She turned around, finding the pale, greasy haired professor standing in the doorway to the classroom. Frowning, he said, "You're two minutes early. How long were you standing out here?"

Maya gulped. "Umm...n-n-not long, sir." Snape looked her up and down suspiciously, then he took a step to the side, allowing her to enter the classroom. Slowly, she moved forward, scurrying past Snape and quickly turning around when she heard the door shut. The sun had only just started to rise, so the room was still lit by several candles, burning slowly. Swallowing, Maya hesitantly asked, "Why was Dra— I mean, why was Malfoy in here?"

Snape's eyes narrowed as he swept his cloak out of the way of his feet and took a few strides toward her. Without any visible emotion, he brushed past her and gathered up several thick books he had sitting on a table and dropped the stack on the desk beside Maya. "My business with Mr. Malfoy is none of your concern," he told her at last. "Needless to say, I wished to speak with him and this morning was the only time we both were available."

"He looked pretty angry when he left," Maya said, mostly to herself. Snape scoffed. "Doesn't matter to me anyways. Now, um...where do we start?" She turned to examine the stack of books, reading the titles curiously. They were all covering advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts. "Are we...um...are we starting with these?" Maya skimmed through the books, growing a little nervous. One of them covered a Patronus, another covered non-verbal, complex spells.

"You obviously think yourself more capable than you actually are," he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Maya tried to brush it off, not allowing herself to look annoyed or offended by what he'd said. She traced her finger along the lettering on the cover of one of the books as Snape. " _Eventually_ — should we have enough time and you prove yourself worthy — we may indeed cover the contents of the more advanced books." Snape now stood across from her on the other side of the desk. He flicked his wand and several of the books whizzed away, forcing Maya to jump back in order to avoid getting her hand hit by them. Only two books remained. "But we are not starting with _them_. For now, I wish to assess your abilities and your attention span. Or lack thereof..."

Tilting her head curiously to one side, Maya reached slowly for the remaining books, making sure Snape wasn't going to nearly hit her hand again. The first one was a hard-cover, greenish-brown book with shiny, gold lettering. _The Basics of Excelling with Non-Verbal Casting_. Maya then examined the second book, which was similar to the first only a deep blue in color, and instead of gold lettering it had silver lettering. This one was entitled _Defensive & Offensive Magic: Focusing, Casting, and Strategizing_.

She raised an eyebrow and set them back down on the desk, looking back up at Snape. "If I may, sir, how come you didn't just...make these books a part of the supply list on top of what you already had put down? It would help several of the students struggling to learn some of this stuff...uh...you know?"

He sighed. "The reason, Miss Kensington, is because unlike one of your previous teachers — who I would use as a prime example that many Ravenclaws are all show — I am not interested in creating a list that drags the floor." Maya was well aware of the teacher he was referring to. Useless old Gilderoy Lockhart, the worst Ravenclaw to ever be sorted in Maya's opinion. He was every negative stereotype you could think of for the house, and she wondered if the house founder rolled in her grave everytime a horrid show off like that was sorted into Ravenclaw. Snape continued, "I am satisfied that the book I assigned to sixth year students was what they needed to learn, not what they requested I help them advance with."

"They had no say at all, though," Maya pointed out, although it didn't help her situation in the slightest. Snape's eyes flashed with annoyance and his nostrils flared, however momentary. "Ooh-kay, I'm shutting up now."

Snape hummed in recognition and agreement. "Wise choice indeed. Now, turn your attention to page one of _Defensive & Offensive Magic_ and take a seat. I have the feeling that this will be an excrutiatingly long morning."

Maya bit her lip and moved slowly, sitting at the desk and opening the page. She was a fast reader, so the chapter was finished within about ten minutes at the most. It covered things she already knew, but the basics of how to perform them more powerfully and more effectively and without the other knowing. She put these to work as Snape informed her that he would be dueling her with their remaining time and Maya realized that this would likely be quite difficult, considering Snape was unpredictable and therefore — if he was using non-verbal magic — it would be near impossible to win at a duel.

She discovered this first hand, attempting to focus and block, even trying her best to disarm him or retaliate, but in the end she was disarmed, her wand in Snape's hand and his own wand pointed directly at her. And he made her repeat it again. "Your dueling skills, if you have any at all, are rather poor in comparision to your classmates," Snape said with a scowl, tossing her wand back to her. "Go again. Actually put forth some effort."

This time, she blocked his first few moves and managed to cast some spells that Snape easily blocked, however his negative comment gave her motivation. She pushed on, however, it ended once again in her defeat. So they tried again, and again. Maya improved as it all progressed, although the improvement was slow. Snape dropped the books into her arms when the hour was up.

Her nose was in the books the entire time at breakfast, and she thought back to duels in class between her fellow students. She had no difficulties practicing with them, but Snape was skilled and far more advanced than she was. Defense Against the Dark Arts was her best class, her favorite, too, if she had to choose. She managed to survive against Lucius Malfoy and a few other Death Eaters during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. With growing frustration at how all of her skills were basically useless against someone of the same or similar caliber to what she'd be facing if a war was to come with Voldemort's return, she hid herself away in the library for the rest of the weekend.

* * *

The room she was in was dark, gray in color, unpleasant. It gave off a depressing aura, and Maya found herself moving slowly, confined to a single place. She was pacing, limping, muttering to herself. Becoming aware of what she was doing, she quickly silenced herself, feeling she would attract unwanted attention. As slow as her hobbling about, she realized a shackle was around her ankle and she was in a cage. That's what it was. A damp, dark, cold cage. A cell, in actuality.

It meant she was trapped. Her breathing picked up as she reached the end of the chain. It was stretched as far as it could go, leaving her in the same place. Opening her mouth, she tried to speak, to scream, but she couldn't. Nothing came out of her mouth, no matter how much she tried. At the cell door, shadowy, dreadful figures appeared. They came for her.

Just as darkness engulfed her and a scream finally escaped her lips, the scene changed. A fireplace lighting up a dark room, but it wasn't an eery dark. It was unsettling, but cozy, comfortable, warm, similar to what she remembered of the Slytherin common room. Not as airy and soothing as the Ravenclaw common room, but safe and clean.

In her hands was a cup of warm water. There was a dull pain in her ankle, where the shackle had been. _You aren't supposed to feel any pain in dreams_ , she thought. So she knew she was lucid. It _was_ a dream, however being aware of this didn't change the fact that she wasn't in control. Or maybe she didn't want to be in control. Why would she want to not have control over a situation.

The pain got worse, growing from dull to sharp and burning. She hissed in pain, pulling her leg towards her only to find that she was still locked up. Her ankle was swollen and it felt wet. She touched it gingerly and pulled her hand back to find blood. As she processed, the scene changed, but only slightly.

Now, the shackle was off of her foot. She had a blanket and warm food and the fire was burning brightly. Someone was bandaging her leg, talking to her. It was all muffled and no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to see the person's face. Their hair was an orangish-gray with the light from the fire, distorted by whatever shade Maya could only think of as 'dream color'. On thing she could tell was that a Dark Mark was on their arm, she was sure of it. That didn't make sense to her, as Death Eaters weren't particulary caring, and they definitely weren't to muggleborns.

Then the calm, soothing part of the dream was over as a pounding came from a door. It continued, with shouting, too. And then someone burst through the door. They raced over, reaching for Maya, and she sat upright in her bed, gasping for air and covered in sweat. It was dark outside still, and the dormitory was lit only by the faint trace of moonlight. The snoring of her roommates and the faint whistling of the wind outside were the only sounds.

Maya looked down at her watch, wiping her forehead and kicking the covers off, feeling unusually hot in spite of the cold, late winter weather. She reached for her wand, which she kept tucked under her pillow, and whispered, "Lumos," passing her wand over the watch face and reading the time. It was almost three in the morning. Frustrated, she whispered, "Nox..."

Aspen, curled up at the end of the bed, lifted her head and made a soft, curious trilling sound as Maya slid out of bed. With the light from Maya's wand gone, she couldn't see her pet's exact expression, but Aspen hopped up from her sleeping position and twisted around Maya's ankles, trying to get attention. "Aspen, stop that," Maya hissed, picking her feet up. "You're going to end up tripping me up!" The marten finally stopped and scurried over to the door, scratching at it lightly, then sitting beside it, curling her fluffy tail over her paws. Maya shook her head, sighing, "You're weird."

It was a Wednesday morning, and her previous nights all had nightmares similar to that for some reason. And every night she would wake up the same way, after the same dreams. Only instead of laying down and being bored, unable to sleep, she was going to do something productive. The library would be unoccupied. Was she breaking the rules? Yes, and she was well aware of it. Did she really care at this point? Not really. Detention was detention, and although Maya thought of herself as being a very well behaved student, she had been in trouble before, though she'd been younger then.

Carefully, she dressed herself in the dark, then crossed the room to open the door, making sure to close it quietly and not trip over Aspen as she raced down the steps and into the Common Room. Maya examined the room. The fire had gone out a long time ago, so it didn't illuminate the room in any way. The ceiling, which portrayed a starry night sky, provided some light. Then there were the candles that flickered with a blue-tinted flame. It was enough to see the exit from the room and out into the staircase.

Maya carefully opened it, allowing Aspen to skitter by first, then she followed, dragging along her books for classes later in the day. She was sure to avoid Filch, though she had Aspen to help her with that, although she always thought of herself as being good at sneaking around. And at being quiet. She hurried to the library, locked up for the night, but she managed to get inside.

Her nightmares were bugging her, so she decided to look for any magical instances of prophetic dreams. She wasn't sure if that's what it was, she just knew that it pulled too much from reality for her to be comfortable. The cell in her dream was from Azkaban, she realized it when she thought back to the stories in the paper telling of escapes and telling of Lucius Malfoy's arrest. They were all taken within the cell, so she had a pretty good idea of what they looked like. The shadowy figures must have been dementors, the fowl creatues that guarded the prisoners and had once guarded the school for a short period during Maya's third year.

The way she saw it, that meant one of two things. One was a more rational approach; she simply feared being locked in Azkaban, which was true. The second was the worst case scenario and why she needed to put her mind at rest. She would be locked there one day, for some reason. That meant she'd have to commit a terrible crime. Maya couldn't see herself as a murderer, and she definitely wasn't ever going to be a Death Eater, as they'd kill her as soon as look at her simply because of her blood status. Unfortunately, those were the only reasons she could think of for someone being locked away in that terrible place.

After pausing in her reasearch to mull this over, she thought of the other dream. It was more peaceful, until the ending when the door was burst open. She tried to figure out what sort of person could take the Dark Mark, become a trusted Death Eater, lock her away in a room, chain her up, and then still, somehow, have the gentleness to tend to her wounds and give her a warm drink. It disgusted her, in all honesty. The very idea of somehow being prisoner to a group like that was sickening.

But she had to wonder who it was. Her first thought was Draco, in fact that was her only thought. He fit the description of the person. Dressed in black, light hair that was colored by the fireplace, even his hands — as weird as that sounded — looked the same. But there was no way it could of been him, since he wasn't a Death Eater. Was he? _No_ , Maya decided. He was not, he couldn't of been. Draco was many things, but insane he was not. And yet the idea wouldn't leave her alone. It kept nagging, coming up in the back of her mind. It was beginning to scare her.

Frustrated, and without meaning to, she slammed the book shut and abruptly stood up, shoving it back into place on the shelf. She then plopped down in a chair by a window that overlooked the lake, sad, tired, alone. She found herself drained somehow, more emotionally than physically. It annoyed her that she couldn't understand why. So she stared out at the lake, remembering meeting Draco here once. She felt herself smile a little.

An echoing voice startled her from her thoughts, and she jumped from her chair when she heard someone. "Fond memories?" At first, she thought it was Pince or Filch, but when she turned around, she saw Professor Dumbledore, staring at her. He wasn't angry, in fact, she could see him smiling underneath his long, gray beard. "No need to stand up on my account, Miss Kensington."

She had rarely ever spoken with Professor Dumbledore. In fact, aside from that time they talked after the incident with the Triwizard Tournament, she had never spoken with him. At least not that she remembered. Nervous, she felt her cheeks heat up, "I-I'm sorry, Headmaster. I didn't think that —"

"You would be caught?" Dumbledore interrupted, a playful glint in his eyes. He took a few steps towards her, closing the gap between them. His voice didn't echo when he spoke again. "I admire that you managed to go undetected by Mr. Filch, especially without any charm or other ways to conceal you. However, I fear that a punishment will still be made." Maya nodded her head slowly, looking down at her feet. She was expecting that. "But that can come later. Why, if you don't mind my asking, were you reasearching in the Divination section, especially this early in the morning?"

Maya looked up at him, unsure how to reply. It confused her why the Headmaster was even making conversation with her in the first place. Quickly, she began to think through the phrasing of her reply. She should tell the truth, that much was obvious. But could she trust Dumbledore enough to confide in him? He always favored Gryffindors, more importantly, Potter and his friends. If she told him her worries, would he call her crazy and ship her off to St. Mungo's to stay. _Actually, that's silly_ , Maya thought to herself, not letting her amusement with herself show on her face. _If he lets Professor Trelawny and Luna Lovegood stay...and Ravenclaws are known in many cases to be eccentric, right?_

"Well, sir..." Maya tapped her foot nervously as she spoke, not wanting to sit back down yet realizing it might help and was far more comfortable. "You see, I had...I've been having several nightmares over the past few days, ever since break ended. Always the same ones, too," she explained to him. "It's what woke me up, and I'm just...well, you have to understand that I'm probably just overreacting, but I think that...well, i think that the dreams might be...prophetic?" Quickly, after a pause, she added, "I mean, I think that what happened in them could actually happen. Not saying they will, but...it happened once when I was younger, you see. I would have dreams and within a day or two, sometimes even a week, it would happen. Of course, they were always everyday things, not...terrible things."

Dumbledore's light blue eyes narrowed through his half-moon spectacles, and for a moment Maya was scared of what he was going to say. "I wouldn't think too much of them," he advised her gently. "Although our dreams and nightmares pull from our real lives and fears and whatnot, oftentimes the suffering in nightmares never comes to pass. And then you end up wasting good hours of sleep on your worrying." Maya felt her heart sink. Not even Dumbledore. Just once, couldn't an adult in her life actually humor her? Show some concern for her concerns, perhaps? Dumbledore noticed her dejected look. "Of course, my ear is open, should you feel you need to get it all off your chest."

"It's just...well, they're scary to me, that's all," Maya told him, then she proceeded to explain to him every detail, and how very little, if anything, changed each time. Dumbledore nodded his head, listening to her intently, never trying to stop her or interjecting his opinion. He just listened to her and her rambling and she greatly appreciated this, especially since he was the first adult who had listened, even if he didn't share her concern. "I mean, obviously I've looked at it all from a rational perspective. Recent events that happened and all. But, still...I can't help but wonder."

He gave a low hum, nodding slowly. "Interesting. Interesting indeed," Dumbledore said. "Divination was never my strong subject, although I can tell you have something a tiny bit different from it, if your dreams truly are prophetic. Not completely, though, as it's similar."

"You've misunderstood," Maya replied. "I don't have a special ability or anything, in spite of the occasional happening, I just...well, I have a gut instinct that, regardless of the frequent dreams, something bad will happen soon. And worse yet, I fear that it will involve one of my friends..." She didn't name Draco. She knew that, dreams or no dreams, she couldn't escape the dread that hung over her like a raincloud. It was caused by the dreams, but it only got worse the more she analyzed the nightmares. Something bad was coming, something bad would happen. And it wouldn't just be her involved.

"I wouldn't dwell on them, Maya," he said to her, smiling kindly. "What happens will happen. Even if your dreams give you a warning, you can't stop it. Can't change it. All you can do is make the best of it." She nodded in reply, not completely understanding. "Now, why don't you try and get a little more sleep. You do have school today." Maya nodded, turning to go to bed. Then she stopped, turning back around. Dumbledore looked back at her, curious. "Something else?"

"Forgive me sir, but, I have to ask," she said softly. "You said we can't change anything that happens, and that whatever situation we have to make the best of, right?" He nodded. Maya knew it wasn't exact, but he got the general idea. "Well...doesn't that ever hurt? Never being able to stop the bad things? Never fully being in control of anything that happens? And what if the bad thing makes you realize you no longer have control. That you're vulnerable. How do you cope with that? How do you recover from it, so that you aren't afraid to live and actually make the best of something? How do you appreciate whatever lesson, however awful, that the bad things teach you?"

Dumbledore stared at her for a good while, looking deep in thought. "That's an intruiging question from a young mind such as yours," he said to her after he thought. "And you deserve a proper answer. Something to ponder over, perhaps, as you try to get back to sleep. The answer is simple. You forgive. You forgive yourself for being unable to stop what happened, you forgive those around you and you forgive any who had a hand in the situation. Additionally, you accept the help of those around you and from those who care for you. The bad times bring to light many things. Among them are your courage, resilience, and those who truly care for you. You'll find out all of those things during harsh times. And you'll need them, too."

Maya pondered his answer for a moment, finally nodding. "Thank you, headmaster. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Miss Kensington," he replied.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine (Year Six): Monster

After her accidental meeting with Professor Dumbledore, Maya had gone back to Ravenclaw Tower, changed back into her nightgown and laid down in her bed, trying to fall back asleep. But her mind was racing too much, thinking of the dreams and how she didn't want to see them again as well as the answer Dumbledore had given her in the library, so she ended up falling asleep maybe an hour or two before breakfast was supposed to start.

The dream she had wasn't bad, like she was expecting. Once again, she was fully aware that it was a dream, but instead of it being frightening, it was normal. It wasn't weird, although it had a weird setting. She was on the steps outside of the Great Hall. It was late in the afternoon, at least judging by the way the sun came through the windows. It was warm, comforting. Students of all ages walked past her, chattering to one another walking in or out of the hall.

At first, she figured it was one of those dreams where you could just sit down and do nothing, no need to move or anything. So that's just what she did. She sat on the steps, watching people come and go, peaceful and comfortable. Then she saw Draco exit the hall, walking fast and looking distressed. Standing up, she called out his name, but he walked past like she was invisible. Potter was soon to follow, and Maya tried to stop him, but to no avail. Something was wrong. She began to follow them, but then she was stopped and the scene changed.

Now she was staring up at Potter, gripping her wand in her hand as she was crouched on the floor. He stared back at her, shocked. Suddenly, Maya realized that there was blood everywhere. Someone was laying on the floor, covered in blood. She was covered in blood. Dropping her wand, she cried out in horror as she realized who was covered in blood. "Draco! Oh, Merlin, what's happening?" Maya reached out to touch him gently, examining the wounds that caused the blood.

Suddenly, there were muffled voices, all drowning out any sound, even Maya's own voice as she called to Draco, anybody, trying to get someone to respond. The dream began to get shaky, crumbling away, and she felt invisible hands shaking her back and forth. In the dream, she squeezed her eyes shut and then jumped up from her bed, fully awake, eyes wide and panicking.

She saw a mildly concerned Amelia, one of her roommates, standing over her, hands on her shoulder. "You were talking in your sleep. And it's time to get up." Amelia said. She must have been shaking Maya to get her up for school. Maya watched as the hands were removed from her shoulder and the dorm filled with an awkward, tense silence.

* * *

The rest of that day, Maya pushed the dream aside, thinking nothing of it. In fact, nothing came of it for several weeks, which turned quickly into months. However, later, on one late spring day, a short while before dinner, everyone was beginning to gather in the Great Hall for a study session and a quick snack, such as an apple or some toast. Maya had discreetly snatched a shiny green apple from the Ravenclaw table, taking her books and sitting on the stairs outside of the hall.

She watched the students come and go, all still dressed in their school uniforms, however they had begun to loosen it up a bit over the course of the day. Ties were simply slung over their shoulders, or hung untied around their neck. Others collars were popped, some their cloaks missing. It was a quiet, relaxing afternoon. Maya opened up one of her books, beginning to read, almost completely oblivious to everything around her.

Everything was going fine until she caught something out of the corner of her eye and looked up to see Draco hurrying out of the Great Hall. He walked at a brisk pace, his expression one of terror and sadness. "Draco?" Maya asked, concerned. She threw her books down and stood up, walking after him a couple of steps. "Draco, what's the matter?" He ignored her, hurrying up the stairs, right past her.

Maya suddenly stumbled backwards, overcome by a sudden wave of dizziness. Everything in her peripheral vision went dark, meaning that she had no way of seeing if someone was coming up behind her or anything. Someone bumped into her, said something, but she was too busy trying to recover from what was happening. Blood rushed to her head, everything seemed blurry and faint. Deja vu. That's what it was. She had forgotten the dream, but it came back. It had happened several times before, mainly when she was younger. But now it all seemed to line up with her last 'realistic' dream. Or it was starting to.

She recovered just in time to see Potter going after Draco. "Potter!" Maya shouted after him, but he didn't stop. She followed him. "Harry Potter, would you tell me what in Merlin's name you're doing?" He didn't answer, so she kept after him. They weren't far from Draco. Maya wondered just where he was going, furthermore she wondered why Potter was following him.

For some reason, Draco ducked into the bathroom. Maya was a little confused, but she soon realized that Potter had Draco cornered. "Merde..." Maya let the French swear roll off of her tongue, furious with Potter and worried for Draco. The look on his face and the way he rudely brushed past everyone in pursuit meant he was going to confront Draco. Judging by how scared Draco looked, he knew this. This wasn't going to end well, for one or both of them.

She hurried ahead of Potter, shoving past him and ignoring his hushed protests. Draco was leaning over a sink, running some water. His body began to shudder, and his breathing was sharp. He was...crying. Maya started toward him, but Potter grabbed his hand. "I'm not leaving him like that, Potter," she whispered, yanking herself away and hurrying over to him. In a way, she was putting herself between Potter and Draco. They wouldn't hurt her, neither of them. She wasn't Potter's enemy in this case, and she was Draco's...friend.

Gently, she placed a hand on him, startling him from his crying. "K-K-Kensington?" he stuttered out her name, not looking up. He stared down at the sink, refusing to look at his reflection or even at her. Although she was initially uneasy as she realized she was standing in the boy's bathroom, she made a soft shushing sound and rubbed Draco's back. She stood behind him, so Potter had no oppurtunity to curse Draco while his back was turned. Draco began to sputter out words that Maya couldn't make sense of through his sobbing, "There was...there is nothing you...that I could...it's all...an accident...I —"

Potter made his presence known before Maya could respond, or even before Draco could finish talking. "I know what you did, Malfoy!" he spat, and Draco finally looked up, eyes wide with horror. "You hexed her, didn't you?" Maya tried to figure out who they were talking about, but before she could do anything, Draco whirled around, drew his wand, shoving Maya behind him, sending some curse or spell Potter's way.

As Potter ducked out of the way and drew his own wand in retaliation, Maya and Draco split apart, moving out of way of whatever spell Potter cast at Draco. This wasn't allowed, and one of them would end up killing the other, Maya had a gut instinct. Their stupid school rivalry had come to blows once again, only this time it seemed Draco's self-preservation had kicked in. But both seemed to be acting out of anger, and Draco out of fear. Maya scrambled to her feet, slipping past the two of them, her wand drawn in case she had to defend herself from both of them.

Once she was out of the bathroom, she took off at a sprint down the corridor, back towards the way she had come. She was surprised to bump into Snape, who glared down at her. Maya, out of breath and panicking, barely managed to reply when he demanded to know why she was running and not watching where she was going. "Sir, it's Potter and Malfoy," Maya gasped, surprisingly unfazed by Snape for what had to have been the first time in six years. "They've started a fight. They're dueling, sir, and it's not just sparring. This is...serious."

"Take me to them, _now_ ," Snape ordered her promptly, and Maya nodded, leading him off to the bathroom. Maya walked as fast as she could, surprised to see Snape occasionally sweeping his cloak aside and jogging lightly to keep up with her. When they got there, you could hear nothing aside from the busted pipe in the sink spewing water all over the room. No grunting, or spells being cast. Maya looked up at Snape, meeting his cold and mildly confused and concerned expression.

Sucking in her breath, Maya sprinted into the bathroom, nearly slipping on the water that had risen at least an inch by now. She felt sick when she saw a trickle of crimson mixed into the water. Blood. One of them was bleeding. Turning the corner, around the stalls, she froze for a moment at the scene. Draco was laying in the water, his breathing short, uneven, and pained. His white shirt had long lines of red, growing and more and more of the blood spurting from newly forming wounds. It was like his body was being cut into. He layed down in an uncomfortable position, like he'd been thrown backwards. Potter stood there, looking down at him, wand in his hand.

Maya didn't bother thinking twice, afraid of what might happen. _Expelliarmus!_ she thought hard, aiming her wand at Potter's. Just like that, his wand flew from his hand and he spun, startled, in some sort of shock almost. She gripped her wand tightly, holding it at him as she moved around him. Then she dropped her guard and gave Draco her full attention, rushing over to him. Her foot slipped from all of the water and she fell to her knees with a splash, right beside Draco. The bleeding was getting worse, and it looked like almost all color had drained from him. His breathing was gettin increasingly more shallow and pained, slowing down as well. Was he dying?

"Draco..." Maya breathed out, gingerly touching one of his wounds to examine it. He winced at the slight touch, more like she was grazing it with her fingertips, really. She pulled her soaked cloak off, tearing a large scrap from it. It destroyed her cloak, but she could mend it later. A simple charm and cleaning could fix the clothing, but she didn't know what Potter had done to Draco and she knew only to stop the bleeding. She applied pressure with each scrap of cloth, not that it did any good in the few seconds it was there. Had he stopped breathing? Maya wondered. Something had been severed. The worst wounds were on his chest, meaning whatever Potter did could have, at least in Muggle terms, severed an artery near the heart.

Snape appeared moments later, wand drawn. He shoved Maya and her useless, ripped up cloak remains away from Draco, although she remained loyally by her friend's side. Potter turned tail, grabbed his wand from the floor and ran, splashing the whole way. Maya scrambled to pursue him, staggering to her feet, but she was startled by Snape telling her firmly to not chase after him and her foot slipped once again, splashing water and blood onto her own white shirt.

However, as Snape passed his wand over Draco's many open cuts, the blood from the floor began to fade away, pulling towards Draco, and his wounds began to stitch up, however the blood remained on his shirt and he was still extremely out of it. Snape slipped a hand under his student's arm, pulling him from the floor. Draco hung half-limply, so Maya rose to her feet, cold from the water, and slipped her arm under Draco's, pulling his arm around her neck and her arm around his, holding firmly to his other shoulder so that she and Snape could get him to the Hospital Wing together.

Madam Pomfrey saw them walk inside and she gasped, her hands covering her mouth suddenly. The healer rushed to them, trying to take up Maya's task and help him to a bed. But when Maya refused, she simply flicked her wand and prepared the bed, bringing over a cart of different potions and other, interesting tools. She guided Maya and Snape over to the bed, helping them lift Draco onto the bed. She then began to give out orders lightning fast. ' _Take off his shirt. Bring me that potion. Get him a blanket_ ' among other things. It went on and on.

Soon, other professors showed up, attempting many times to dismiss Maya. Dumbledore and Flitwick said that she could stay if she wanted, advising she get a change of clothes. Snape had gotten several changes of clothes for Draco after he went away to find Potter, seeming to know that Draco would remain in the hospital. Sure enough, Madam Pomfrey explained that, due to the blood loss and extent of the injuries, he would remain in the hospital until he recovered.

Draco was still asleep, knocked out with a potion meant to help ease his pain and give him a good rest. However, he was frail. The faint traces of muscle he had were barely noticeable. Apparently, all of his time was spent elsewhere and he had neglected himself to do whatever it was he did nowadays. As such, several things needed to go into his recovery, not that the massive loss of blood caused by everyone's precious Harry Potter helped him any at all. Maya gritted her teeth, tensing and rubbing the top of Draco's limp hand roughly with her thumb.

"Professor," Maya said suddenly, her mouth dry and voice hoarse, realizing then that there was more than one. Flitwick and Dumbledore were who she really needed to talk to. "Er...Professor Flitwick, erm...Dumbledore...I was wondering if I could stay here with Draco. Help Madam Pomfrey out with him in the meantime. I just...don't want him to be alone." She turned, looking down at him, sleeping anything but soundly. "I understand if not, though."

Flitwick looked to Dumbledore, who nodded, then he said, "From what I've heard lately, you've been overworked and tired lately, Miss Kensington. Something about frequent nightmares?" Maya gave a shy little nod, unsure of how she felt about Flitwick knowing of her bad dreams. "Hmm...yes. A change of scenery and a new task might help you. We'll have your schoolwork sent to you by means of your friends. And Mr. Malfoy's, too, once he's feeling better, of course." He turned to Madam Pomfrey and added, "Of course, if you have no objections to it?"

"I could always use the help," Madam Pomfrey replied. She looked over at Maya, and Maya looked down, realizing she'd be residing here until Draco got better. Or rather, she'd be remaining until Madam Pomfrey decided to kick her out. Whichever came first, obviously.

"I still expect you to show up on Saturday morning for your next lesson, Miss Kensington. Don't think you're getting out of it that easily," Snape added to her sternly. Maya nodded in reply, keeping her eye on Draco as the professors continued to talk to themselves about Potter's punishment, although Snape insisted he had it taken care of. They payed Maya no mind after that.

After the professors left, Maya got up to change out of her messy uniform and when she was done, she pulled the chair she was in close to Draco's bedside and sat there. She had gotten her books and apple back from outside the Great Hall, so they now rested on what was now temporarily Draco's bedside table. Maya wasn't sure what to do, so she just sat there in thought, comfortingly holding Draco's hand whenever he'd groan or mumble something in his sleep.

* * *

Maya grunted in pain as she was thrown backwards, landing on the hard ground with an audible thud. She sucked in a breath, standing back up and putting herself back in the proper form, aiming her wand at Professor Snape, who stared sat her with a blank expression. He appeared more or less the same as when they started, his cloak in place, greasy hair still styled. Maya, on the other hand, was a mess. She was out of breath, her hair was a mess, and she was sweating.

"You're getting slow," Snape said to her, wand at the ready. "Fight back, or these lessons can end right here and right now." She didn't like being threatened, least of all by someone who promised he'd teach her. Okay, maybe not much of a promise.

"I'm tired," Maya huffed out. "Can't we take a break?" However, she was waiting for Snape to let his guard down, and he did so as he paused to consider her request. The first spell that entered her head was an easy one, taught during her first year, back when Quirrel was teacher. _Flipendo_ , she thought, and a blast came from her wand, hitting Snape and sending him flying backwards, although he was quick to recover. It was the first time she'd managed to actually get one over on Snape. "One out of eighty isn't bad, is it?" she asked, and he glared at her as he stood back up.

He was frowning, angry. "You distracted me," Snape observed, and Maya looked side to side. Was that necessarily a bad thing? she couldn't help but wonder. "I can't say I'm impressed. Regardless, it did work." He then ordered her to put her wand away, that she could have a minute's rest and that there was one last thing he wanted to start teaching her that day. "Now, I'm aware that your professor during your fourth year, although a criminal in disguise, taught you the effects of the three Unforgivable Curses, correct?" Maya nodded. "Did he bother telling you of any ways to endure the Cruciatus curse, or to resist the Imperius curse?"

Maya gave a small shake of her head, growing anxious. "N-No, sir, he didn't." Snape's eyes glinted for a moment, and Maya wondered what he was thinking. "Sir...in order to endure them or to resist them, they have to be cast on you...it's illegal for you to do it, and I'd imagine especially so to a child. And D-Dumbledore wouldn't allow —"

"I won't be performing the curse itself on you, Miss Kensington," Snape interjected in a monotone. He crossed the room to a cauldron with a small flame under it and something boiling in it. "I have cleared this with Professor Dumbledore, especially since it would appear that a war may be on our doorstep. For those of your blood, a tolerance for pain — specifically one similar to the Cruciatus curse — may come in handy should anyone ever have you in a situation where they could easily harm you and you have no way to deflect it." Maya was a little shocked that he was explaining it with no emotion at all, plain and simple, as if he were discussing something about as little interesting as Dumbledore's glasses.

"Er, sir..." Maya checked her watch, searching her mind for an excuse. Her agreement to stay with Draco and help Madam Pomfrey. "Umm...I really should be getting back to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey needs my help to —"

Snape had already levitated the bubbling cauldron, steam rising from it, setting it on a desk near her. "Mr. Malfoy can surely bare your absence for another few minutes." He gestured for her to come over. "I can tell that he's been on your mind this entire time. But it's time for you to focus." He tucked his wand away, waiting until Maya sat down to begin his lecture. "The Cruciatus curse has often been described as pain from heat, as if the surviving victims were stuck in a fire for too long, or stapped with knives that were held over a flame for too long."

"Obviously, I am unable to perform the curse on a student. Aditionally, heating knives and stabbing you is out of the question," Snape said to her, and Maya felt mildly relieved. "A tolerance for pain similar may be able to help you, however. You're going to push your hands into the cauldron and soak your arms in the water, up to your elbows." He grabbed her hand suddenly, pulling her closer to the cauldron. Maya didn't struggle, but she did want her hand back. "Are you willing to learn?"

She thought for a moment, unsure whether she actually wanted to stick her hands inside of a hot cauldron. The plus side, it had stopped bubbling. The down side, the steam still came off of it. Nodding hesitantly, she pulled her hand back, rolled up her sleeves, and moved forward slowly, sticking her hands slowly down into the water. The second her fingertips hit the water, she winced in pain, gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut. It burned. Not like fire, but her hand felt as if it was squeezing, shrinking almost, and it was a stinging. "Merlin, that hurts! How long do I have to do this?"

"The next five minutes," he replied. "Dumbledore insisted we start of slowly."

Maya didn't know if it was actually five minutes or if it was more than that, but when Snape finally said she could stop, she pulled her arms out and found that her skin was red and tender. She was shaking, and it hurt. The cold air that hit her arms made the pain almost worst, blowing against the forming blisters and feeling like ice. She could feel the blood rushing in her arms, her pulse was rapid, too. Snape didn't praise her, but he waved his wand over her arms, saying no incantation, and just like that, her blisters vanished and the pain began to ebb away. "Next Saturday, you dip your hands for longer. You're dismissed."

 _That was it?_ Maya thought, scratching her arms slightly, as it still burned a little, though not as much. "Yes, sir," Maya muttered, gathering her cloak and books and exiting the room. The red on her arms faded slowly, and she tried to imagine that pain she had felt in her arms throughout her body, constant, not fading. She then wondered what sort of monster would ever want to do that to another person.

* * *

It wasn't long after news of Draco's incident reached the other Slytherins, and Pansy Parkinson burst into the hospital, quickly scanning the room and spotting Draco. Within seconds, she was on the opposite side of the bed. "Oh, Draco, my poor darling!" she said in a shrill, overly concerned voice. Maya resisted the urge to screw up her nose in disgust as Pansy's hands found Draco's and she stroked his face and cheek, ignoring the bandages to basically touch him wherever. She was completely ignoring Maya, and she didn't even seem to take notice of Draco's reaction to the pain he was feeling from her excessive, harsh petting.

Maya wasn't going to sit by and listen to him groan like that, in too deep of a sleep to wake up, but still able to feel the pain. She stood up and grabbed Pansy's wrist, careful not to hurt Draco, since he was laying in between them. "Stop it, Parkinson, or I'll get Madam Pomfrey," she hissed, not holding onto the Slytherin girl's wrist hard enough, as Pansy quickly yanked her hand back and freed herself. Her nostrils flared, but Maya tried to remain calm. "You're hurting him. The skin around where the cuts were is still tender and thus cause pain when pressure is applied. Just be more gentle and less...touchy with him."

Pansy said nothing in reply, scoffing at her words, but she did sit quietly by Draco and murmer something to him, in spite of the fact that he couldn't hear a word she said. Astoria and Daphne showed up after dinner to bring Maya something to eat, although Pansy had refused to leave and missed dinner altogether since nobody knew she was there. Astoria only stayed a short while after checking on Draco and leaving him a nice 'get well' note, and Daphne helped Maya get rid of Pansy, which only worked after Maya had kindly split her dinner in half with her so she didn't leave on an empty stomach.

Late in the night, after helping Madam Pomfrey change Draco's bedding for the night and make sure he was okay, Maya crawled into the bed right next to Draco's, managing to get an hour or two of sleep before she awoke to the sound of Draco crying and sucking in his breath in pain. She wasn't sure if he was asleep or not, but she got out of bed regardless, making sure that he was okay. His eyes were shut, meaning it was likely that he was just having a bad dream. But, he was hurting himself in the process, so Maya needed to calm him down somehow.

Before she even began to look for a calming draught to give to him or something like that, he stopped, his breathing evening out once again. Something caught her eye, though, as he dropped his left arm beside him, off of his chest. A bandage that hadn't been Madame Pomfrey's doing. One that Maya hadn't noticed. His sleeve had been pushed up to reveal it. Carefully, she gently tugged on the end of it, trying to lift it up. Just as she was about to see what was underneath of it, a hand suddenly grabbed hers and she jumped, biting back a yelp of surprise.

It was only Draco, though, staring up at her in the dim light from the lantern on the bedside table. " _Don't_. That hurts," he breathed out as he finally released her hand. Maya pulled her hand back. "Why am I here?" Draco asked her, and Maya quietly jumped into an explanation. His expression slowly changed to one of understanding as he remembered everything that happened after she described it to him. "Oh..." He closed his eyes and began to sniffle.

"Draco, please don't cry," Maya said softly, unsure if she should take his hand in hers again. "You're going to cause more pain for yourself." He didn't reply, and his body began to shake as he started to cry, wincing in pain every other breath. She put her hand onto his, ignoring her previous concerns about it being awkward. She'd known him for six years, and they'd been the best six years of her life, and he was one of her best friends, and there was no way she wasn't going to comfort him or help him in any way she could. "What happened to you, love?"

His swollen-from-crying eyes snapped open and he stared right up at the ceiling, and for a moment Maya was left wondering if he actually heard her. Then he said, as quiet as could be, "I'm turning into a monster." Maya didn't know what he meant by that. "You know those birds near the Room of Requirement? The blackbird and the little white one? I killed the white one...it's dead, now...I'm dangerous, Kensington...it was all an accident...just like everything else I did..." He was tearing up as he told her the story about the bird. Maya had wondered just where they had both gone to, no longer hearing their songs when she passed by.

"You know what, Draco?" Maya said to him, and he looked at her, confused. "I don't believe you're a monster. And you want to know something else? I won't let you believe it either. I won't let you become one, either."

Draco gave a dry laugh, sighing at the end and looking back up at the ceiling. His eyes closed once again and he said, "Far too late for you to prevent that, Kensington." And within seconds, he had fallen back asleep, leaving Maya alone in the dark, wondering.


	40. Announcement!

Author's Note:

 _This is to replace the original version of this author's note. I'll be leaving this version of the story up on the site just for memories sake but I'm completely rewriting it from scratch and publishing it again once I finish the Ace Combat fics I'm writing. The new version will hopefully be published on my account by late 2020 or early 2021, depending on how things work out with my fan fictions._

 _So for now Draco and Maya's story has come to an end, but not forever. I'm still attached to this story and the characters, so they'll be back once I've got the story up to my personal standards._

 _Until next time!  
-Monty_


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